


Those With Powers

by TwilightMaster15



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Blood and Injury, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Burns, Depression, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Issues, Fluff and Humor, Flying, Friends to Lovers, Guilt, Human Rem, Human Ryuk, M/M, Major Character Injury, Memory Loss, Permanent Injury, Secret Crush, Suicidal Thoughts, Superpowers, Team as Family, broken world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 64,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22193713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightMaster15/pseuds/TwilightMaster15
Summary: In a world where superpowers, better known as Traits, are a social norm on Earth, rare duel-trait wielder Light Yagami decides the world needs fixing and becomes the vigilante known as Kira, with a little help from his twin brother, Ryuk, who shares his Shinigami Trait, only stronger.L, the brilliant world renown detective with a Trait as unknown as his name, is determined to capture this vigilante and bring him to justice, but finds himself quickly falling for his suspect without knowing it.Two great minds at war while also fighting the irritating power known as sexual tension, and needing to mend society after the catastrophe brought on by the rise of Kira? It's a disaster waiting to happen.
Relationships: L/Yagami Light, Rem & Ryuk (Death Note)
Comments: 42
Kudos: 165





	1. Chapter 1

Traits. Superpowers. Abilities. Powers. Abnormalities.

No matter what you called them, their presence in society was abundantly clear, no matter where on the planet you lived. No one was sure how the Human race suddenly began to develop the superpowers that now defined them, yet it was thought to be the defining moment in history on Earth, some thought it gifted by the gods.

Across the world, people were given superpowers that were known as Traits. Each person had one, but they were all different. Some of them were brutal, and combat-focused, like the power to generate fire, whereas some were far more humble, like the ability to fly. Seeing people with horns, claws, wings, additional limbs, tails, even unique skin colors like red and blue, now was commonplace, and the entire population having superpowers was just average.

But because violence was common, there were officers and the brilliant detective known only as L to keep things under control. Nobody knew what L's Trait was, but it was assumed his intelligence was his Trait.

But Light Yagami, he was extraordinarily rare, having a rare duel-trait mutation.

Light Yagami. Trait(s): Fire/Shinigami. Light possesses a rare Dual Mutation, allowing him access to two powers. 

Fire: Light can create brightly colored flames of any heat, anywhere from toasting marshmallows to cracking the Earth. However, this Trait is directly linked to his stamina, so overusing it can lead to him becoming exhausted. Overuse can lead to burning himself out.

Shinigami: This Trait allows Light to kill anyone if he has a name and a face, even if he has never met that person, making it a hazardous power. It also allows him to summon feathered wings whenever he desires without any damage to clothing or his back, making it easy to mistake for a flight Trait.

Light, from a very young age, had come to an agreement with his twin brother, Ryuk, that they were both going to hide that they had the Shinigami Trait from anyone except their Trait Doctor. Not even their parents knew. To everyone, Light's duel-trait was fire and flight, and Ryuk could merely fly.

He groaned as Ryuk hit him with a pillow from his top bunk. 

Light and Ryuk were _almost_ identical, except Ryuk's hair was dark like their parents, and he had dark eyes—also like their parents. Light, on the other hand, had caramel-colored hair and blood-red eyes. He wasn't sure which of his two traits gave him the abnormal irises but assumed it was fire since Ryuk didn't have red eyes.

Ryuk Yagami. Trait — Shinigami. Unlike his brother, Ryuk has a stronger Shinigami power referred to as "the eyes," which can be given to others at the price of half the asker's lifespan, and he can see the name, Trait, and lifespan of anyone he sees.

"I'm bored, Light." His twin complained. Light groaned. It was moments like this that he missed the days before their younger sister, Sayu, was born. Once upon a time, he and Ryuk had had different bedrooms.

"Then, study for the entrance exams in April that I know you forgot about." 

Even if Light and Ryuk were twins, both in birth and Trait, they were quite different in personality. Light was a perfect, golden son in the eyes of their parents, and he got all A's without trying. Ryuk was too lazy and got bored far too easy to put in the effort, and there had been many nights their parents had tried to see if Light could teach Ryuk. Some people wondered if Light's extreme intelligence was the third Trait, but that didn't seem to be the case. Light had just hit the jackpot.

Another thing was Light's love of justice and hated how easily criminals got off the hook, especially the ones with known Traits to influence minds. There had been times he had used his Shinigami power to start the illegal practice of vigilantism. Ryuk could care less but enjoyed watching his entertaining twin.

Light groaned, seeing Ryuk wanted apples. He sighed, grabbing an apple out of a bag, "Do you want to fly?" Ryuk shrugged,

"Sure. I don't see why not."

Both walked to their small balcony, both letting their wings out. Ryuk's were black, but Light's were white with black and red at the tips, giving them a burnt effect and looking really impressive.

They shot into the sky, looking down at the city below. Light sighed as they flew down close enough to hear about even more murders, then flew high into the starry night sky that he knew Ryuk would follow, but nobody else would listen to.

"Ryuk, is something wrong with me for wanting to use my Trait to rid the world of criminals? I want to make a perfect world, but vigilantism is illegal."

"So? So is murder, but that doesn't stop nature from making it a Trait, not just in the form of Shinigami. I'm not here to stop you, Light, I'm here to support you so I can watch this for my own amusement." He took a crunch of an apple, his favorite food. Light smiled,

"Yeah... the world is full of rotten people who don't deserve Traits. Are you going to help me with your eyes, or watch?"

"Depends on my mood." Ryuk replied, "I assume you're going to do this if you're asking. So what's your vigilante name?"

Light pondered it, "How about Kira?"

"I like it."

OoOoO

L sat at his computer, looking at the new killings from the vigilante known as Kira. Well, it was a hot debate worldwide if Kira was a vigilante or a villain. However, seeing as the motivation was seemingly to create a better world since all victims were criminals, Kira fell under the category of vigilante.

He turned when he saw his adopted father, Watari, behind him, a tray of food floating next to him.

Quillish Wammy, aka Watari. Trait — Reactive Telekinesis — Watari possessed the ability to use Telekinesis, allowing him to move objects with his mind. However, he can only use these abilities after touching an object with his hands.

"Watari, I've narrowed down Kira's Trait to Shinigami. Can you get me a file of everyone known to have the Shinigami Trait?"

"Ryuzaki, that is going to be difficult since the confidentiality law passed."

L groaned. The confidentiality law had passed about twenty years ago, and though L had had difficulties with it before, it was extremely frustrating now. Only the one with the Trait, and their doctor, had to know the Trait. Not even the parents were entitled to knowing the Trait of their child.

That meant this was going to take much longer to pin down. Then L brightened as he got an idea, "Watari, remember those criminals we arrested in secret to use as a resource? Bring one to me, I have an idea."


	2. Chapter 2

After school ended for the day, Light had to fight to get past all his adoring fans. With his duel-trait, that in itself made him very popular, but his fire Trait was also extremely powerful, but he had taught himself to create beauty from it—something else the girls adored, as he created flowers in the air from his flames. He was known as Light Firebringer or Light of the Wildfire because he could take down anyone.

See, regular schools also required courses to train Traits and to spar, starting when their Trait activated either at age five or below. Light and Ryuk had developed the Shinigami Trait at the same time at age three, and Light developed his second Trait a few days later. 

He shuddered at the terrifying memory of the day his second Trait activated. He hadn't had any control over it... 

_"Try flying to your mother," Soichiro told him from the seating area. His comment earned him a jab from his wife, but she didn't correct him either._

_"That's a good target." The tutor agreed._

_"O-Okay..." Light said, facing his mother. He was nervous, but the encouragement he received from everyone around him spurred him on. He focused as hard as he could, and his wings came out of his back, and he was able to fly into a waiting Sachiko's arms._

_"That's the way!" The bone-bladed tutor congratulated, clapping his hands. "Not so bad, is it?"_

_"Nu-uh!" Light agreed, excitedly hugging his mother happily. "It was super easy!"_

_"Light…What are you doing! Stop!" His father suddenly, and unexpectedly, screamed at him, bolting upright and backing up, in abject horror. "Let go of your mother!"_

_"Dad…?" Light looked towards his father, startled._

_As he did so, he got a look at his arms, covered in flames. A flame from his own palms seemed to spread into his mother, who was sat there, her eyes wide open, clearly in pain, but unable to convey it. Scorch marks ran all around her neck, to her throat, and around her voice-box, burning away her very skin and flesh instantaneously._

_The child took his hands off of his mother's neck, and blood squirted from her jugular and at him._

_Light screamed._

The only reason his mother was alive now was her own Trait, an inorganic diamond form. She had been able to shift just in time before the damage was beyond saving, so the doctors with healing Traits were able to keep her alive. It still took months for her to regain her voice.

During that time, Light had hidden in his room, terrified he would hurt someone. It was back before Sayu was born, so Ryuk had his own room. Nobody could get in as Light trained and mastered his flames, to ensure he never hurt anyone. He hadn't lost control once since his Trait activated, but he still felt guilty every time he saw the scars on his loving mother's neck and how she never held it against him. 

"I thought it'd never end." He heard Ryuk moan, taking a bite from an apple, and helping his brother avoid the girls. Sure, Ryuk also had devastatingly good looks, as was a trait of all the Yagami children, but he was more preoccupied with his one true love, apples, than having a girlfriend. "Why do we do this every day? It's so dull here." He noticed Light was walking away, "Hey, where you going? Hey, Light, wait up!"

Light was stopped by one of his classmates, Saiji, "Hey, what's up, Light? We were just going to head down to the—"

"Sorry. I'm busy today." Light smiled shyly, then kept walking. He hated thinking about the day his second Trait activated. The anniversary of a child's Trait activating was supposed to be cause for celebration, not a memory of what he had almost lost.

Ryuk caught up with him, "You don't have anything to do. Aren't you just going to go home and hang out in our room, as usual?"

"What are you talking about? Of course, I have something to do. Something important." He looked down, and Ryuk noticed what was getting him down.

"Girls pressuring you about your flames caused you to remember Mom?"

"Yeah. It's funny, really," Light sighed, putting his hands in his pockets, "I can kill people with a thought, and I do that to hundreds a day. But that day will haunt me forever."

"Well, yeah, but Mom's not a criminal. But at the time, how were you supposed to know you had a second Trait? It's not like your first Trait was future-sight."

"I suppose you're right." He let his wings out once they were away from a crowd who would want to touch them. Light grinned, "Race you home." He launched himself into the sky, hearing Ryuk laughing behind him.

The race was fun, something they did every day, always discovering new ways to throw the other off. Sometimes Light would throw fireballs, knowing Ryuk could dodge them.

They made it home, and neither of their parents nor their younger sister was back yet. The twins retracted their wings and walked in, and Light grabbed himself a snack and shut the door once Ryuk was inside, locking it.

Light turned on the news, seeing there was a report.

"There was more violence across the city today. Another stabbing, this time at a restaurant in the heart of the Kabuki-Cho district of Shinjuku.

"Why are you working so hard on this?" Ryuk asked, "Less than two weeks ago, you were asking if there was something wrong with you for being a vigilante. Now you're dedicated when it comes to this."

"I can't afford to waste any time. I have a tiny window to kill." Light explained, "I only have from when I get home from school until I go to bed. I still need to sleep so I can maintain my average and stay at the top of the class. Obviously, I can't be sleeping in class like you. Plus, there's all the studying at home and at cram school. I can't let myself get too tired. It will start to affect my health and mental performance. If I'm serious about trying to create an ideal world that's free from evil, then I need to make the most of my time."

"Is killing any fun?"

"You try it instead of just eating your apples." 

To his surprise, Ryuk got off his cluttered top bunk and sat down with him to watch the news. 

The reason the door was locked right now was their Tells, something that happens when the Shinigami Trait is activated. Light's Tell was both his hands turned black up to the crook of his elbow during the forty-second wait. Ryuk's Tell was his voice would change to something much more inhuman, also during the forty-second wait.

When they heard the doorknob jigging an hour later, and both their Tells were activated, they were glad.

Light checked his watch, glad it only took ten seconds for the targets to be dead and the Tells to wear off.

"Huh? Weird." Light heard Sayu say, "Hey, Light, what's going on? Why is your door locked? Can you help me with my homework?"

"Uh, yeah. Okay." Light opened the door, "Sorry, I just had to change since Ryuk spilled some water on me." Ryuk looked offended for a moment, before realizing that lie was believable.

Sayu Yagami. Trait — Sketch. Sayu can draw and create anything she desires. When using this Trait, her finger of choice will glow, and she must draw with this finger. She can only use this Trait on her own skin, and it will appear in front of her. Any creations she makes will follow her commands. However, a drawback to this Trait is, if she uses it too often, she will suffer the effects of arthritis, despite not actually having it. Additionally, when she begins a drawing, she cannot stop it, meaning she only gets one draft to complete something to her satisfaction, which can be difficult when in combat.

"We're doing quadratic equations in math." Sayu explained, "Sorry to interrupt. I know you're studying right now, but I'm like the only person in my class who doesn't get this stuff. Thanks so much!" She noticed Light was slightly frustrated, and she raised an eyebrow. What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Hm? It's nothing. Just thinking about some stuff. So what exactly don't you understand? What are you stuck on?"

"Um…well…I think all of it."

OoOoO

That night after cram school, Light looked at his computer, "Ryuk, you should check this out." Ryuk looked up from the comic book he was reading and came to stand next to his brother, "Websites like this are popping up everywhere lately.

"The Legend of Kira, the Savior. Huh. Sounds pretty cool. Is this about you?"

"Yeah. When I search the word Kira, I'm pulling up tons of sites just like this one. The media hasn't picked up on it. They're still calling this a succession of unexplained deaths among the world's most hardened criminals. But the people of the world can already sense that something is happening, and are aware of Kira being a vigilante. They know there's someone out there passing righteous judgment."

"Oh?" He looked at the computer, "People seem extremely happy about this."

"People are like that, Ryuk." Light explained, "Although this would probably never happen in school, let's say that students were asked to discuss whether bad people deserve to die. Well, you can bet that everyone will give the politically correct answer of not wanting to kill. That's what they are bound to say. Of course, that's the proper response to offer, right? People are always trying to maintain appearances when they're in public. That's just how we are. But _this_ ," he gestured to the screen, "is how they really feel. Most are too afraid to support me as they're worried about what others would think. Many would rather deny my existence since vigilantes are illegal."

"But on the internet, where you can remain anonymous, support for Kira is growing." Ryuk grinned, "And look, some people think you're God and the one who gave the human race their Traits. Maybe it's because I have a stronger Shinigami Trait than you, but in a world where we have half-lizard people as a social norm, thinking you're a God is a bit much."

Light scoffed, knowing Ryuk was right. "Not going to deny you have a point, but I'm not going to complain about the attention. Maybe people are afraid to say it out loud, but they all understand what's happening. Someone's making the bad guys disappear one by one. Those who have done no wrong are cheering for Kira because they have nothing to fear. Those who do wrong are on the run. They are forced to hide from an unknown enemy. This is how it should be. Everything is going just like I planned."

They both turned with raised eyebrows towards the television as it changed the channel, "We'd like to apologize for the interruption. As of now, we're bringing you a live worldwide broadcast from Interpol, ICPO."

Ryuk blinked, "Hm? What's this?"

"Interpol?"

A man appeared on screen, and Light got up to make sure the door was locked. 

"I head up an International Police Task Force, which includes all member nations. I am Lind L. Tailor, otherwise known as L. Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer. I consider this crime to be the most atrocious act of murder in history. I will not rest until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice. Kira, I will hunt you down. I will find you."

L? Like the superdetective with a mystery Trait? Something seemed off about that to Light, and he turned to Ryuk.

"What's his Trait?"

"Exploding Bubbles," Ryuk replied since he was able to see the man's name, Trait, and lifespan with his Shinigami Eyes, and the Eyes didn't affect his Tell whatsoever.

"Maybe that's why he doesn't let his Trait be known," Light mused, "Because it's pathetic. Hm. That fool. He'll never find me. He'll have to know my real second Trait first. And as long as the police think it's flight and nothing more, something the confidentiality law ensures, there won't be any evidence to convict me, which means catching me will be absolutely impossible." He relaxed in his chair, "I anticipated that the police would get involved and that something like this might happen."

"Kira," Lind L. Tailor continued, "I've got a pretty good idea of what your motivation might be, and I can guess what you hope to achieve. However, what you're doing right now is evil."

Light gasped and stood up, "You think… I'm evil? I am justice! I protect the innocent and those who fear evil! All those who let criminals escape, they are the ones who are truly evil! I guess you're just too stupid, L. Too bad. This could've been a lot more interesting if you'd only been a bit smarter. I'll show the world what happens when you cross me. The world as a whole is watching…L." His Tell activated, and moments later, Lind L. Tailor collapsed, dead. Light gasped then laughed maniacally, "What's wrong? You've got nothing else to say?"

Two suited men with black sunglasses removed Lind L. Tailor's body from view as Light continued to laugh. But then an L symbol suddenly flashed on the screen, silencing Light.

"Ah." A voice said, though, it was clear a modifier was being used, making the only clear thing that the speaker was male. He sounded incredulous or maybe exasperated, "I had to test this, just in case, but I-I never thought it would actually happen. Kira…it seems you can kill people without having to be there in person." All disbelief left his voice, and he took a more authoritative voice, "Listen to me, Kira. If you did, indeed, kill Lind L. Tailor, the man who you just saw die on television, I should tell you that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today. That was not me."

Light gaped, "What?"

"The police arrested him in absolute secrecy," L went on, "so you wouldn't have heard of him on TV or through the internet. It appears not even _you_ have access to information about these types of criminals."

Ryuk laughed and looked at Light, who was tearing at his hair, "He got you there."

"But I assure you, L _is_ real. I _do_ exist. Now…try to kill _me_!"

Light clenched his fists, knowing he couldn't do anything, "You…you bastard."

"What's wrong?" L taunted, "Go ahead! Come on, right now! Kill me! Can't you do it?"

All Light could do was stare at the TV incredulously, and he hated it.

After a moment's more of goading Kira to kill, L stopped, sounding slightly smug, even through the voice modifier, "Well, Kira, it seems you can't kill me after all. So there are some people you can't kill. You've given me a useful hint. In exchange, I'll tell you something that I think you'll find interesting. This was announced as a worldwide broadcast, but we are only broadcasting in the Kanto region of Japan. I had planned to broadcast this message around the world until we found you, but it looks like that won't be necessary. I know now where you are."

Ryuk laughed, "This L guy is pretty good. Wonder what his Trait it."

"The police treated your first killing as an unrelated incident, but in actuality, the original victim was a suspect in Shinjuku. Of all the criminals that recently died of heart attacks, this one's crime was, by far, the least serious. Furthermore, his crime was only ever reported inside Japan. I used that information to deduce this much. You are in Japan, and your first victim was little more than an experiment, which means you haven't been killing for very long. We decided to broadcast in Kanto first because of its large population, and, luckily, we found you. To be completely honest with you, I never expected it would go this well…but it won't be too long now before I can sentence you to death. Naturally, I am very interested to know how you're able to commit these murders without being present…but I don't mind waiting a little bit longer, I have already come to the conclusion this ability is from your Trait. But I'll find out _which_ death-based one it is when I catch you… Let's meet again soon, Kira."

The broadcast cut out and left the screen snowy, a fuzzy sound filling the quiet room.

Light was shaking, but not in fear, "Really? _He's_ gonna sentence _me_ to death? Sounds interesting. I accept your challenge, L."

"Each of you has to hunt down the other without knowing the other's name or face. And the first one whose identity is revealed will die." Ryuk giggled in mad delight, "This is going to be so much fun."


	3. Chapter 3

"I knew I can count on you, Light!" Sayu hugged his neck after another night of needing to help her with math homework. Light honestly wondered why she wasn't in all the art classes instead of this, because those would be much more helpful with her Trait.

"Hey, so do you think you're ready to try a few on your own now?" Light asked, and Ryuk rolled his eyes from where he was sitting in the corner because both of them knew full well that Sayu was barely paying attention and had been waiting for Light to basically do the work for her.

Sayu looked at him with confused doe-like eyes, "Huh? Yeah. I guess so." Then she turned at a noise downstairs, "Oh, sounds like Dad's home. He's home really early today."

Light sighed, "Why don't you at least try the last problem by yourself?"

"I will, but maybe after dinner." Sayu took her homework and ran off, and both Light and Ryuk scoffed.

"Yeah, right." They said in synch and laughed as they did so. That was what Sayu called their "Twin Trait," the ability to say things at the same time. If they wanted to, they could do it all the time and scare the hell out of people, but they preferred to have their own thoughts. Besides, they already had a Twin Trait, and that was the power of the Shinigami, or flight as everyone believed. 

"You sure are relaxed," Ryuk said, getting down from his top bunk.

"Of course. If the police try to come after me, I'm pretty confident I've got something that'll give me the advantage." Ryuk laughed, knowing Light was right since they had a policeman for a father.

They headed downstairs, hugging their father.

"Hey, glad you can join us for dinner." Light said happily, "You hungry, Dad?"

Soichiro nodded, "Yeah. It's been a long day."

Soichiro Yagami. Trait — Push. Soichiro can send a massive amount of kinetic energy, which stores up in his biceps and forearms and transfer it to any object he 'Shoves' away. It is estimated his Trait is capable of pushing at strength levels so high he could theoretically shove an entire house to pieces should he desire to. However, excessive use of this Trait will result in his bones wearing down and becoming easily fractured or broken.

They all sat down and started eating. Ryuk pouted that there were no apples, but knew not to complain.

Their father looked up, "So, Light, Ryuuku, tell me. How are your studies going?" Ryuuku was Ryuk's real name, but he preferred his nickname.

"Boring," Ryuk stated, "I don't see the point in learning this stuff when it's not gonna help our future. Are they trying to kill us with how dull they are?"

Light shrugged, "Everything's okay, I guess. But Ryuk's right that it's been a little dull the last few days."

"Whatever." Sayu replied, "You're just saying that because you're at the top of his class. My big brother is a genius!" Then she turned to Ryuk, "You just don't have any attention span and have Light to help you at 3am if necessary."

"Not gonna deny that." 

Sachiko beamed at Light, "We're all proud of you, Light." Ryuk sighed, knowing that with Light, the golden son, and Sayu the youngest, sometimes he was forgotten.

Light noticed Ryuk looked a little upset, but not too much, and shot him a small, assuring smile. Then he turned to Soichiro, "Is everything okay, Dad? You look tired."

"Yeah." Soichiro picked at his food, "I'm not able to say too much about it, but in this case, I'm working on now is really tough."

Light could tell his father was on the Kira case and was a little curious about his father's thoughts.

"What are your thoughts on vigilantes?"

Soichiro looked up, "Vigilantes are foolish kids who are too eager to get out in the world and make a name for themselves. There are some with noble intentions, but they still should have waited and joined the police. Jumping in without a plan and putting their lives on the line is too dangerous. Kira, in that sense, is smarter, but he or she is also evil for killing so many."

Light felt a pang of hurt that his father didn't understand what he was trying to do, make the world a better place. At least Ryuk understood, even if he didn't care too much.

After dinner, Light went up to his computer and hacked into his Dad's computer. They were on a home network, so he could copy the files he needed without leaving a trace. This way, he could keep track of the investigation. 

"Here we go. Well, isn't that interesting? It looks like the police are already beginning to suspect a student."

Ryuk laughed, "I guess that means you're in trouble."

"Nope. Not if I have names in mind and kill them at times a student can't. The only problem is my Tell. But if I'm wearing, say, long-sleeved clothing able to cover my hands for a few seconds, there shouldn't be a problem." He pulled out a little black notebook from his desk. It had been a gift from one of his admirers, and now he had a use for it.

Turning on the television, he started writing down names. 

OoOoO

L watched from his screen, even if all the task force saw was a screen with his symbol on it. He was listening and seeing everything and was quite interested in the new report.

"What? I-I don't believe this." Mr. Yagami held up some papers to his face, "Another twenty-three victims yesterday? Are these confirmed?" When there were nods from other officers, the Chief sighed, "The day before, there were twenty-three victims. He's killing one every hour on the hour."

One officer turned to the other, "Considering that this new pattern has been going on for two weekdays, it does punch some holes in the theory that our suspect is a student."

As they started talking about the fact Kira was probably not a student, L sighed, deciding to speak, "You're missing the point. It does appear less likely now that Kira is a student, but that's not the message he's sending by doing this. Ask yourselves why every hour? And why are all these victims in prisons where they should be discovered immediately? Why not other criminals like before? I believe Kira is telling us that not only can he kill from a distance, but he can also determine the time of death. But something's not right. As soon as we began to suspect that Kira might be a student, the pacing of the killings changed. As if to contradict that theory. Coincidence? No. Too convenient. This can only mean that Kira has access to police information. It's obvious now. This is a direct challenge to _me_."

Or, there was the chance Kira was intelligent and had started keeping track of criminals to kill. But there was no denying the challenge Kira was taunting him with. And L wasn't the type to back down.

Kira had found a way to obtain information from the Task Force headquarters. This was one fact that cannot be ignored. But what did he get out of all this? What was he hoping to achieve in the end?

OoOoO

"There's one thing I don't get." Ryuk mused as he watched Light both kill and write new names in his notebook, "Showing them that you have connections to the police makes it easier for them to find you than when they just suspected you were a student."

"Well," Light smirked, "my real agenda is to get close to L, so I can eliminate him. I'm already pretty sure you won't be gracious enough to kill him for me, but I would have to see his face regardless."

"How are you gonna do that?" Ryuk asked, "And for the record, I will only kill L if he gives me a reason to want him dead."

"There are very few people who actually trust each other." Light explained, "And it's no different for the police. What's especially noteworthy is that L and the investigators don't trust each other at all. Think about it. Could you trust someone whose name and face you don't even know? When L discovers that I'm somehow getting confidential information, he'll be obligated to start investigating the police to find the source of the leak. When that happens, it'll only be a matter of time before the cops start resenting L. On the surface, it will appear that L and the investigation team are working together to try to catch me. But in reality, L will investigate the police, and they will be examining L. I'm not the one who is going to find L. I can let the police do that for me. And when they do, _that's_ when I'll eliminate him."

OoOoO

L groaned as officers started leaving the investigation. He had expected this and counted on it, but it was still annoying that they valued their own lives to the point of letting Kira roam free when part of the police job was a willingness to risk their lives.

Watari came in, "We brought the FBI to Japan four days ago. They are fully operational. As requested, they're now gathering intel on the police." He handed L a list, and the detective turned to face his Trait doctor and adopted father,

"And, this is the complete list?"

"Yes."

_There are one hundred forty-one people in the police force who have access to classified information regarding the investigation. I am sure that somewhere in this list of the police officers and the people closest to them, we will find our suspect._

OoOoO

Light and Ryuk were flying home, not bothering to race today, when Ryuk was next to Light, so close their wings were touching, and it was putting them both a little off balance.

"Light, you got a second? You'll never hear me say anything about whether what you're doing is right or wrong. I'm not here to support you or give you my opinion unless there is a benefit for me as well. I'm just a spectator, but as your roommate and twin brother, I might have a few things to say now and then."

"What's this about, Ryuk?" Light asked, ceasing to move forward and stayed in midair next to Ryuk.

"It's just that, while I guess I'm your ally, the only reason I'm going to tell you this is because, personally, it is starting to creep me out. We're being followed. He's watching us right now. It's really starting to get on my nerves. I feel like I'm being watched."

"Is he here?"

"Yeah. I've only seen the guy's first name because he hid behind a cloud, but it's still weird."

"That's a problem." Light mused, looking around to see if he could see anyone. There were multiple flight Trait users around, so it was hard to pinpoint a specific one that could be following them, "I'll have to get rid of him as soon as possible." He decided to pose a distraction for their stalker, and maybe make them harder to follow, "Race you home!" He said this a little louder than he would typically and flew as fast as he could home and onto his balcony.

_Who would be following me? Does this mean L is already starting to suspect the police? If he's gonna investigate the police, he'll need a lot of resources and manpower. Even if he has as many as fifty people on the case, I don't see how they could figure out I'm Kira. I shouldn't look like anything other than your average high school senior. But the longer I let this person keep following me, the higher the chance is they'll figure out who I really am. Above all, I need my stalker's last name, but I'm pretty sure I can get the first name out of Ryuk. Once I figure that out, I can get rid of this person for good._

"You know, Light," Ryuk landed just as Light had retracted his wings and walked inside, "you could always make the eye deal with me, that way you won't have to continually bribe me for information." Light dug into his secret stash of things to bribe Ryuk with and tossed him the most perfect apple he could find at the market.

"What's the stalker's first name?"

"Raye. As you can guess, since we were up in the air when I pointed it out, he's got a flight Trait. No wings, though."

Light scoffed, "I have you to help me, and no rules are preventing you from doing so."

"No amount of bribing will get the last name out of me," Ryuk pointed out, "You need to do that on your own. It will be no fun if I do all the work. So, what'll it be, Light? Is it a deal?"


	4. Chapter 4

"This deal is out of the question." Light replied, "If I was ever going to give up half my lifespan, it would have been a while ago. I figured _you_ of all people should know I wouldn't take this deal."

Ryuk shrugged, "Yeah. But it doesn't hurt to offer."

They sat in silence as Ryuk decided to go flying—it was to see which twin their stalker was following. This gave Light time to think without it being disrupted. He leaned on the railing of the balcony, seeing Sayu below practicing with her Trait.

Light gasped as he watched her controlling the dog she had drawn. "That's it. I got it." He chuckled, finishing his homework as he waited for Ryuk to come back.

It was about twenty minutes until Ryuk came back, with a jug of apple cider, "The guy's following either me or both of us."

"You saw him?"

"Yeah. Raye seemed to wait, as though watching you for a moment, but then he started coming after me. I almost want to ask him what his deal is. I know it might be someone working with L, but it's just so creepy!" 

"Don't worry, brother," Light grinned, and his crimson eyes showed the malice he kept hidden from the rest of the world, "I think I just figured out how to find out the surname of the guy who was following us today. Then neither of us will have to worry about him."

"How're ya gonna do that?"

Light stood up, letting some of his flames dance around his fingertips. "For starters, we need to spar for a while... This should be interesting."

OoOoO

The desktop beeped, and L walked over from where he was practicing his Trait and knelt beside the device. There was another beep as he pulled up a video chat window showing Watari.

"What is it, Watari?"

"Three more heart attack victims," Watari stated, "But the circumstances of their deaths are different from what we've seen thus far."

"What do you mean by 'different'?" L asked, curious as to what Kira could be doing now.

"I'm sending you a copy of a letter as well as pictures taken at the scene."

"Okay." There was beeping as images of evidence appeared on the computer monitor. L paused to read the letter. "It sounds like he was _afraid_ that Kira would fine him. It's believable that our victim might have been genuinely scared and wrote this, but... We know Kira can control the _time_ of death. What if he can also determine the actions in the moments leading up to it? In which case...If Kira is really using criminals as test subjects... what is he trying to achieve?"

OoOoO

Light sat at his computer, going over recently stolen files. He pulled up an image of the bloody pentagram on the prison wall.

"Look at this, Ryuk. I think we're in luck. The results of yesterday's little 'test' of ours have been downloaded onto Dad's computer. And these results are just as I suspected. My Trait will work for what I have in mind."

"Whaddya mean by that?" Ryuk asked, looking down at Light's completely bandaged hands. While training, he had used his fire to the point any further use would cause him to roast alive from the inside out, and his hands were burned. It didn't hurt him now but needed to be wrapped to not get infected. What was abnormal about this was that Light usually was more careful than to let himself get pushed that far. But for the sake of this plan, having his hands covered by bandages came in handy, for it hid his Tell.

"One of 'em escaped and ran into the bathroom I had ordered him to. Another one drew the same symbol I had sketched in the bathroom before he died. And finally a third wrote the _same_ letter I had written in my notebook, word for word. All three did precisely what I _intended_ them to do. For the other three inmates, I purposely wrote virtually impossible conditions. With the first one, I tried to make him die in front of the Eiffel Tower in one hour. However, everyone knows it's physically impossible to go from prison in Japan to Paris, France, in only one hour. Since this couldn't happen, he simply died of a heart attack in prison. The next was supposed to draw an exact picture of L's face on the prison wall. This also didn't happen. You can't sketch someone you've never _seen_ before."

"Makes sense." Ryuk replied, "So you burned your hands so you could use your Trait for long periods to control your victim, without your Tell giving you away?"

"That's right. And with how often people are asking me to show off, it would be believable that one day there were just too many demands, and sparring was too much. After all, I have nearly burned out by accident." He pulled up another file, "With the last one, I tried something _slightly_ different. I specified that he would write a note that read, 'I know that L is suspicious of the Japanese police.' To be honest, I actually expected this one to work, but it didn't end up happening. Which means it's impossible to make someone write what they don't already know. Or at the very least, it has to be the kind of thing they could come up with on their own. Basically, even this Trait can't do the _impossible_ , but as long as it's within the realistic limits of what that person might do, I can control them as much as I want before they die."

"That's very clever. I never thought to _train_ with the Shinigami Trait to get stronger." Ryuk praised, "But what's all this leading to? What's the point?"

"These latest victims will no doubt keep L and the police guessing. Even as we speak, he's probably trying to decipher all the clues I left for him. Especially that little note. That absolutely _meaningless_ dying message."

...

L crouched in front of a computer, the shine of the monitor was the only thing illuminating the room.

"If Kira used those criminals to start an experiment of some sort, it means he's about to start something. If he moves now, there's a good chance the FBI will notice someone acting. But perhaps he has a different goal in mind altogether. Could the pentagram and this letter be some kind of message?" L gasped, rereading the letter, "Is this it?"

...

"Alright." Light announced, "Time for the real thing."

"Real thing?"

"Yesterday, on the news, they said this villain, probably a drug addict, tried to rob a bank but was unsuccessful." He pulled up another file of a man, Kiichiro Osoreda, better known as Molecular. "He attacked a few people and then ran away emptyhanded. I'll use him." He pulled out his cellphone and started punching in numbers, wincing at little as the burns on his hands didn't approve of being used to type, "It's kinda last minute, but I'm sure I can find someone. I got a few people in mind.

"A few people." Ryuk repeated, "For what?"

Light put a finger to his lips, uncharacteristically playful, and glad he could be himself around his brother, "You'll see." He put the phone to his ear, "You should know I, as the Firebringer, am a rather popular guy, Ryuk."

OoOoO

Light walked, hands at his sides to show Raye that his hands were bandaged. As he went down a stairway, he glanced back to check Raye was still following him. Above them, Ryuk was flying around with binoculars, just in case Light lost focus on what he was doing and had to get involved.

He was focusing on his target, controlling the man's actions, meaning his bandaged hands were black right now.

He saw his date, a girl named Yuri with a sparkler trait—meaning her Trait worked roughly the same as fireworks—was at the bus stop waiting for him, cellphone out. She looked up as Light approached, waving, and calling for him.

He heard Ryuk's voice through the earpiece he had in, "A date? But this isn't just a date, is it? You said that you'd figured out a way to find your stalker's surname. So tell me, what do you plan on doing?"

"Just be patient," Light replied quietly, and turned to Yuri, "Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"

"No, not at all." Yuri said, "Anyway, I haven't been to Spaceland since junior high!" She clung to Light's arm, "I'm _so_ excited. And the best part is I have you all to myself!" She saw the bandages, "What happened to your hands?"

"Oh, I overestimated how much energy I had left. You know, people constantly asking me to show off, then I sparred with Ryuk. It's nothing too bad, doesn't even hurt anymore, but the doctor said I needed to keep them wrapped to avoid infection." He suspected his stalker heard that. And Light needed to focus as much as he could to maintain control over his soon-to-be victim while paying attention to his date.

"I don't get it, Light. Didn't you say you weren't going out until entrance exams were over?" While she said that, Light saw a man sit behind them, and he matched the man he had seen following him when he and Ryuk flew to school.

"That was before I scored number one on the national practice exams." Light replied with a small smile.

Yuri groaned playfully, "You're such a _nerd_." She giggled, and Light fought the urge to scoff as she started talking about who knew what, and Light closed his eyes, making noises of acknowledgment and nodding when he deemed appropriate. As he started getting a headache, Light worried there was an overuse limit to his Shinigami Trait too, but sighed in relief as his target came on the bus. 

_It's him. He's here. Seven passengers excluding him, no one's in the way. Everything should go smoothly._

Kiichiro Osoreda, aka Molecular. Trait - Ectoplasm. This Trait allows its user to create a sphere of Ectoplasmic energy in his palms, which can be thrown or used as a melee weapon by its user. This Trait is very destructive, as it can be dangerous if a foreign object it touched by this power, as it can range from blowing it up to melting it at an atomic level.

Osoreda had a sphere of ectoplasmic energy in his palm and held it out to the panicked bus driver before addressing everyone on the bus.

"Stay in your seats unless you want to die. Everybody _shut up_! If anybody moves, I'm putting this energy in their head." He looked back to the driver, "Alright, driver, you listen to me. I know you've got the number for Space Land's office on ya. Call 'em! Tell 'em what's going on—and no tricks, either." But it was mere moments before he grabbed the phone from the driver, "Now you listen up! Have a female staff member bring _all_ the cash from Space Land's money from yesterday. I know it's there. Have her meet us two bus stops from the park and _don't_ make me wait. If you try to mess with me at all or try to get the police involved, I swear I'll kill every one of these passengers."

Yuri was quaking in fear, her hands clasped, and her eyes shut tight. Light tapped her thigh, and she opened her eyes and looked at him. He held up a small piece of paper for her to see, reading: "Yuri, don't be scared. As soon as he turns around, I'm going to throw some fire at him."

He had purposely held the note so that Raye could also see. Having read the paper, Raye leaned forward. He and Yuri look back at him when he starts talking.

"Don't be stupid. That's risky. If it comes to that, I'll take care of it." Light looked away and started writing on the paper, but Raye stopped him, "It's okay. We don't have to pass notes back and forth. As long as we keep it down, he won't be able to hear our voices over the sound of the engine. Besides, the state of your hands implies you're close to a burnout."

In response, Light crumpled up the paper and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Do you have any proof you're not his accomplice? Why should we trust you? I've read about this before. The first hijacker comes in like he's working alone. Meanwhile, the _second_ one pretends to be a _hostage_ and stays in the very back just in case something goes wrong."

"You... you really think he is one?" Yuri asked frightfully, and Raye handed his wallet containing what was probably an ID.

"Here's my proof. Take a look."

_FBI? I see. L needed an outsider, so he got the FBI to investigate anyone connected to the Japanese Police Force. His name is... Raye Penber._

He handed Raye back his idea, but he winced as his headache started getting worse, and he realized this was either going to be a drawback, or he was more sensitive to noise than he thought. Or the worse option that Raye had some sort of device with soundwaves only those with the Shinigami Trait could recognize. Those kinds of machines were very rare, but they were used by the government, so Raye could have one. Light knew he had to hide his headache at all costs.

"I trust you. And I guess, for the time being, I won't bother asking what an FBI agent is doing on the bus in the first place. Do you have a gun or combat Trait?"

"Yeah, I've got one." Light knew Raye was referring to the gun since his Trait was flight, therefore not combat-related at all.

"So, if it comes down to it, I can rely on you, right?"

"Yes."

Light purposely made a crumpled-up note fall out of his pocket and onto the floor. He leaned down to pick it up, gasping in fake concern. Osoreda noticed and pointed his hand at Light.

"Don't move, you little punk!" He shouted, "What the hell is that? Eh, smartass!" He picked up the note, "You guys were planning something back here, weren't ya?" He scoffed, "Pft. Plans for a date, huh? Stupid kid." But then he brightened, looking at Light. They made eye contact, "Oh? Light Firebringer, eh?"

"So?" Light replied, and Osoreda laughed, 

"Looks like I'll have to get rid of you first before you try anything." He went to fire the blast at Light, only for Light to hold up one of his hands, creating a shield made entirely of flames. A neat little trick he had learned. He stood up, his hair becoming flame as well—which was mainly a wow factor, how his hair could be alight but have no damage to it—and he stood up with both his hands covered in flames as his bandages burned away. He had rested enough, so the burns on his hands didn't get worse.

"What's the matter?" Light taunted, "You asked who I am, so I'm showing you." 

"Kid, get down," Raye warned, and Light smiled,

"Don't worry, I've got this." He blocked more blows, and this terrified the man who was unknowingly under Light's flaming, blackened thumb.

"Stay there, you! You—Keep away from me, you freak! Get away from me!" Osoreda screamed and kept trying to hit Light, who was exhausted, trying to use both his Traits at once. This wasn't vigilantism, because Osoreda had attacked him first, and all Light was really doing was displaying his power and blocking blows to himself and others. The window of the back of the bus was destroyed, though.

Osoreda ran to the front, demanding the bus be stopped so he could get off. The bus screeched to a stop, tilting and hitting the curb. The door opened, and Osoreda ran out onto the street, falling to his knees, before being hit by a car.

Light fell to his knees, the pain in his head instantly vanishing as he let go of his control over Osoreda, and the black on his arms vanished, leaving just the burns. So he got headaches when keeping control of someone for a half-hour or longer... good to know.

"Light!" He felt Yuri run over to him, helping him up, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just tired. Didn't wait long enough before using my fire again." He looked up at Raye Penber. _My Trait never fails, and you will be next._

Ryuk flew down, steadying Light, who was still a little dizzy from the sudden lack of pain, "Hey, Light-o, what happened?"

"Hijacking... nothing much." 

Yuri approached Ryuk, "Take him back home. He needs rest." Ryuk picked Light up bridal style, much to his twin's chagrin.

"I'm okay, Ryuk, put me down." He insisted once Ryuk had taken flight. Ryuk shook his head,

"Oh, I'm not carrying you because I'm worried. I want to go get some apple pie, and you're the one with the wallet."

Light sighed.

 **Update:** Light Yagami's Shinigami Trait — This Trait allows Light to kill anyone if he has a name and a face, even if he has never met that person, making it a hazardous power. It also allows him to summon feathered wings whenever he desires without any damage to clothing or his back, making it easy to mistake for a flight Trait. He can control his victims as long as those actions are possible for the said victim. However, he can only control them for half an hour before a migraine sets in until he releases control, then the pain is replaced with minor fatigue. 


	5. Chapter 5

After hearing what happened and that Light had pushed himself too far, his parents called the school and said he was sick, and confined him to bed rest.

Mom used a washcloth soaked with cold water on the blisters on Light's hands. Now he knew that using both Traits together caused him to get to the burnout stage faster. So his hands had second-degree burns, and he hissed as his mother took care of him.

"Light, you need to be more careful," Sachiko lovingly scolded, "You don't need to always obey your classmates when they ask you to show off."

"I know," Light replied quietly, gesturing that he wanted water, "But what else was I supposed to do when a guy was trying to attack me? If I hadn't used my Trait on the bus, I could very well be dead."

"I still can't believe someone attacked you like that."

"Well, I am pretty well known in the city, being the kid with two Traits. I didn't hurt the guy, though, just made sure his blows didn't hit me or anyone else. Then he got hit by a car."

Mom placed a hand on her chest, and Light winced, seeing that imprint of a small hand burned onto her skin. She kept working to treat the painful blisters irritating the burns. He really hated it when this happened, but for the sake of his plan working, it was worth it. And he had learned some valuable things about his Traits.

"I'm glad you didn't hurt him. Unless in self-defense and no other option, nobody should kill." 

Light actually took notice of what his mother said since he had been plotting what to do about Raye Penber. He needed the names of all the other FBI agents in Japan, and preferably their Traits. He could only kill Raye Penber, but wasn't that making him the thing he swore to destroy?

Yes, it would. Mom was right. But he still needed those names, and then he could find a criminal with a technology-based Trait to print out pictures of the people. Then he would be able to kill them, but only if needed, but right now, he had no way to kill the agents even if he wanted to.

Now that he had the start of a plan, he knew what he had to do next. But he would wait for a week to execute his plan so he could recover his energy in case it came down to that. 

OoOoO

Light held up the names of the FBI agents in Japan in one hand, and in the other was a printed copy of all their faces. What he had done was take a criminal known for illegal hacking, but not enough evidence to convict, and made him hack into the FBI system, print off these pictures, and leave the library without it, so he could pick it up when he printed off one of his own assignments. Getting that man into an alleyway so he could die of a heart attack unnoticed had left Light weak and exhausted, and Ryuk had to once again carry him home, but he was able to blame it on his flames. 

He had needed to go to his Trait Doctor, who told him he needed to not use his flames for _anything_ for at least a weak, or he was going to burn himself out and require hospitalization. Being hospitalized didn't mean much since he could watch the news, but he would rather not be pumped full of anti-fire drugs.

On the bright side, his parents had sent the doctor's demand to the school, so people won't be pestering him to show off when he could be murdering criminals—a vastly superior activity.

"You doing good, Light-o?" Ryuk asked, his Tell showing in the form of a demented voice, trying to see if he could control criminals, discover something new about his Trait. Light had written down in his notebook, an encrypted note for one of the victims, to let L know that Kira had the names and faces of the FBI agents. Yesterday, Ryuk had sent out that note through a criminal, and today he was just playing around at his own choosing. Light was jealous that Ryuk didn't seem to be bothered the way that Light was with long periods of control.

Light looked up from where he had been looking at the names. It was moments like this that he was glad he had the bottom bunk, "Tired, but I'm certainly better than Mom, Dad, and Sayu think I am." They thought he was sick, exhausted, and in pain. In reality, he was just fatigued.

Ryuk finished up just as someone knocked on the door,

"Light, Ryuk," Sayu called "Dinner's ready!" 

Both got up, and Ryuk made a show of needing to help Light walk downstairs, and Light leaned on him. Besides, this would give him even more criminals to kill. The problem was that he was never sick, so this could be considered weird. But Yuri had seen the bandages on his hands. She was bound to tell people that he'd been pushed too far. But again, this didn't happen often, and that had him worried. Though he supposed he could say nerves for the test might have made his burnout resistance weaker.

They all ate, and Sayu looked to their Dad, "So what's with the family meeting, Dad?"

Soichiro looked up at them, "I figured you're going to find out sooner or later, so I might as well tell you now. It would be best if you weren't alarmed, I'm sure you've heard of this Kira investigation. Well, I am in charge of it." Light and Ryuk looked to each other, seemingly in surprise, but seeing as their Dad wad chief, this wasn't shocking in any way.

"What? Are you serious?" Sayu beamed, "That's totally awesome, Dad! You're the best cop ever."

"That's not quite the point I'm trying to make." Their Dad said, "The truth is, the FBI sent twelve of their agents to Japan to assist us in finding Kira. However, yesterday it was reported Kira now has the means to kill them, and the FBI refuses to work on the investigation for the sake of their agents."

"What?" Light asked, wondering why he hadn't bluffed about this long ago instead of going through the trouble. But he was still relieved that he wouldn't need to kill any innocents, which would without a doubt cross the line between vigilante and villain.

"Well, at least Kira's not a heartless murderer who will stop at nothing." Ryuk replied, taking a bite of meat, "Not yet, at least."

"Good point, Ryuuku," Soichiro said, "But because Kira was able to so quickly gain this information, that means he is capable of it. I'm assuming there is still a chance Kira will kill anyone who comes after him. Many detectives have already quit."

Sayu jumped up frantically, "Dad! You should quit too, I don't want you to die! What if he gets you?"

"She's right, Dad." Ryuk said, much calmer than Sayu, "Not only are you putting yourself in danger but if Kira can get that information, what about the rest of us? "

"Your life is so much more important than a job," Sachiko added on, but Soichiro shook his head.

"I can't. I would never forgive myself if I walked away from this. I won't sit back and let evil triumph."

"But—Dad—you—" Sayu stammered. 

Light looked up from his food, "I think it's honorable of you, Dad. I'm proud to be able to call you my father." He stood up, stumbling to try getting to his room on his own, "And if anything should ever happen to you, I'm going to find Kira, and make sure he gets executed."

Soichiro smiled, "This is the first time since you were little that I've seen you and Ryuuku disagree on something like this. But thank you, Light. Let me help you to your room." He got up, helping guide Light to his room.

OoOoO

L knew that he had to show his face. He smirked a little, knowing that meeting them face to face could prove extra interesting. It was down to five men, so he saw no problem showing his face. To be honest, he had expected one-on-one with Mr. Yagami, or perhaps one extra person. Five was more than he bargained for, but he wasn't going to complain. Though he did wonder what their Traits were and what that brought to the table. 

He waited in his hotel to meet them. He looked out the window, seeing both the city and his own reflection. Sometimes it amazed even him that the only trace of the power he held within was an amulet he kept hidden under his shirt, helping his body handle his Trait. He sometimes wondered what would happen if he took it off, but had no plans of trying that in the middle of his most fascinating case yet.

_Kira, it seems we're getting closer to each other in equal steps. It's only a matter of time before we collide. So be it. I'm ready to show my face. I'll make my first public appearance as L. If you ever manage to find out about these secret meetings, you'd feel compelled to move in. That's what I'm counting on._

He turned when he heard a knock on the door, "It's unlocked. Please, let yourselves in." The task force filed in, one by one, and L walked up to them after double-checking the amulet couldn't be seen. The last thing he wanted was for one of them to figure out what he was capable of. No, that was a secret that would stay with himself and Watari.

"I am L." He said simply, hands in his pockets. He wasn't surprised by the responses he heard.

"This is him?"

"He's nothing like I thought he'd be. Wonder what his Trait is."

As they all took out their badges, L narrowed his eyes. If he was Kira, these men basically committed suicide. 

"I'm very sorry we're late." Mr. Yagami said, and L looked at them all with a steely gaze.

"If I was Kira, you'd be dead right now, Mr. Soichiro Yagami, Chief of the NPA. Kira needs a face and a name to commit murder. But I'm sure you've already figured that much out, haven't you?" He walked up to them, shaking all their hands. 

But as he did that, making contact with each of them, his Trait activated, and they were none the wiser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do y'all think L's Trait is?


	6. Chapter 6

Hirokazu Ukita. Trait — High Speed. Ukita's Trait allows him to move, think, and react at the speed of sound. He can activate this power at will, allowing him to switch between moving at speeds like an average human, and moving at his highest speeds. He has trouble utilizing this Trait in cluttered locations, and when not touching the ground, his power is useless. He also cannot transport anyone along with him without causing them some severe damage. Running into walls at this speed will cause him a great deal of damage, and debris can still hit him in the eyes when using this Trait if precautions are not taken.

Shuichi Aizawa. Trait — Shadowcharmer. Aizawa's Trait allows him to turn his shadows into a solid object, which he can then use to combat opponents. More specifically, he can take the darkness from around him, convert it into a solid object or being, and control it to fight. He can manipulate his own shadow into a variety of shapes, sizes, and control it at will. This Trait works exceptionally well at night or in darker areas. Subsequently, it is much weaker while it is bright. Additionally, overuse of this ability will leave him unable to activate his Trait, as well as leave him exhausted.

Touta Matsuda. Trait — Broadband. Matsuda can use WiFi signals as shock-wave like weapons, as well as travel along a signal, such as teleporting between cell phones if there is a call between them. He can also access anything online without being near a device, able to see the results behind his eyelids. However, without a WiFi signal, he would essentially be Traitless, and the power level relies on the WiFi signal's strength.

Kanzo Mogi. Trait — Terrakinesis. Mogi can manipulate, move, alter, shape, and attack with earth substances, such as dirt and solid rock. He is capable of doing this on a reasonably large scale. However, he is only able to move up to roughly three tons of earth at any one time. He also cannot create anything unless there is an earth-like substance around him. Excessive damage to him can also leave him unable to use his powers.

"Please do not give out your name so carelessly," L asked quietly, "Instead, let's value our lives." He saw them talking, but didn't care too much as to what they were saying. "That's enough small talk for now. I already know the Traits you have, so the only person who could be of any help at the moment through those methods is Matsuda."

Matsuda blushed a little, having always been a bit self-conscious about the glaring weakness meaning any natural disaster could leave him without a Trait. So it was good to see it was good for something.

"However, please turn off any cell phones, handhelds, and other communication devices," L went on, "I would rather no other Broadband users teleport in. For all we know, it would make sense if Kira either had or was allied with someone with that Trait."

"Wait," Matsuda looked up as he put his cell phone down, "You think Kira has my Trait?"

"Seeing how rare the Duel-Trait mutation is," L squatted in his chair, "It's much more likely that Kira is working with someone with Broadband, assuming he's not a hacker. It would make much more sense why Kira can access police files and FBI names if Broadband is being used. But even then, the chances are only 5%. I am more focused on the death-based Traits, chief among them being the Shinigami Trait." He looked up, "Oh, I should have started with the fact nobody will be taking notes during these meetings. That means when we leave headquarters, all information is committed to memory. And from now on, I'll have to ask that you stop calling me L. It's Ryuzaki now, to be safe."

"Okay, Ryuzaki," Matsuda said hesitantly, "if we know that he needs a name and a face to kill, couldn't we cut down on the number of victims by removing criminals names from the news?"

"If we do that, we'll only be putting the general public at risk," L replied, stirring four sugar cubes into his coffee. 

"The general public?"

"Why?"

L looked up, "Kira is childish and hates losing."

"But how did you..."

Soichiro looked to L, "Just what do you mean?"

"Well, I am also childish and hate to lose." He replied, "That's how I know."

"Ryuzaki," the chief went on, "Would you be more specific for us?"

"Early on in the investigation, I tried to provoke Kira with that broadcast. Until then, we thought that Kira would only go after criminals, but as we saw, he didn't hesitate to kill my stand-in. He's met each of my challenges head-ons and never missed an opportunity to return the favor... until recently in the form of the FBI agents. But, with the FBI case being an outlier, what do you think would happen if we denied information from someone like that? Sure, if he does have Broadband, this would be an interesting way of testing it, but do we really want to risk the public?"

"I suppose you're right," Ukita replied, and L nodded, mostly to himself,

"Now, the FBI is what has gotten me thinking even more. If Kira really has the names and faces of the agents, when would he have obtained the information? It could have been that he controlled a technology-based Trait user to do it, which would support the Shinigami theory. People with that Trait are often mistaken for those with a humble Flight Trait, and like all other death-based Traits, they need a name and a face to kill. However, there are variations to the power of people with this Trait, such as some can see names the second they see someone's face, some like Kira can control their victims. Others can even become invisible and phase through things—the last two are extremely rare, but they are possible."

"How do you know all of this?" Aizawa asked skeptically, "I haven't even heard of that Trait before."

"That's because those with that Trait hide it. Would you want your boss to know you have the power to kill them with a thought? But I know about it because I have solved many cases, and it's come up. But a glaring weakness about this Trait is each person with it has a special Tell unique to only them, which appears while they are using it. This is why added onto the fact Kira most likely discovered the existence of the FBI in Japan between the 14th and the 19th, I am going to first be investigating the Yagami Twins."

"Light and Ryuuku?" Soichiro asked with horror in his eyes, "What have they done wrong?"

"It's not what they have done wrong. It's just that the twins were investigated during those days, and they both supposedly have a flight-based Trait. I need to know if they are honest, or if they both have the Shinigami Trait in secret and, if so, how powerful they are and if they are carranam."

The carranam bond was an extremely powerful loophole in the limitations of a Trait, allowing two to unite in their power. This bond was rare; very few find someone with whom they are compatible, as it is both unique and dangerous as well. Most never find someone they trust enough to test it with, because of the risks attached—an unskilled partner could unwittingly take too much power and drive the other mad and shatter their mind, or even kill them. But there was no way of telling until you try. 

"No, Light and Ryuuku aren't carranam, or if they are, they don't know it." Soichiro stated, "With how reckless Ryuuku can be, I forbid them from even trying."

"Has it occurred to you that the reason your son has been so weak the last few days is that they did try? Before you ask, the confidentiality law doesn't forbid seeing medical records, including the last visit to the doctor."

Soichiro hesitated, "I... didn't think about it. I'll talk to them when I get home."

"Fine. But do not tell the boys I was the one to bring up the idea. But if they are carranam and share the Shinigami Trait with their own strengths, it would certainly make sense that they are Kira. Remember, this is only 5%, as it could be easily one or the other if them at all."

They both turned and saw Matsuda had his eyelids shut, with his eyes fluttering underneath. "Well, there are eight other Shinigami Trait Users in Japan that I can find, which was before the confidentiality law."

"Good. Make me a list of these people." L replied, and Matsuda turned to a printer, his eyes turning momentarily magenta as files started printing. 

Broadband—a remarkable Trait when WiFi was around 

OoOoO

_I guess I'll be fine,_ Light mused, _I haven't missed anything._ _The most significant risk I've taken so far was that bus-jacking, but they'll never be able to connect it with Kira. Letting Raye Penber live was risky too. Maybe I should have finished him off. No... that's not required yet._

Ryuk looked to him from where he was watching the news as background noise as he was actually studying.

They were both shocked by Soichiro coming in, looking worried, and even a little angry.

"Light, are you feeling better?" Their father asked, and Light nodded from the book he was pretending to read,

"Yeah. But I never realized how much I use my fire until I can't use it anymore." He smiled, then frowned, "Dad? What's wrong? You're home early, meaning this is probably important." 

"Yes. Because I have been thinking, and I need to know." He looked up, "Did you two attempt the carranam bond?"

"No, why?" Ryuk asked, "I want to, but I'd rather not risk frying Light's brain. It's a good brain, and that just isn't the way to go." He showed both his palms, and so did Light because the carranam bond was tested by both people slicing their palm and holding hands, joining the Traits by blood.

Soichiro sighed in relief, "Good." He left, and Ryuk frowned, getting up to shut and lock the door.

"So Daddy's worried about you, Light. Can't believe he really thought we'd try that."

Light shut his book, "To be fair, Ryuk, that is something you would do for your own amusement. But I think L was the one to suggest this. I think that Dad came and confronted us because L is playing with the idea of us being significant."

"Us? I may play around with this from time to time," Ryuk said, "But _you_ are the one with the Kira name."

"You're right, but this is the only time I can push myself like this." Light looked at his hands, healed enough that it didn't hurt, but there were still marks, "I'll need to find a new way to hide my hands. You're lucky and can just be quiet." 

He crossed his arms, contemplating what to do now, with the knowledge L was onto them.


	7. Chapter 7

"Everyone," L said, "At this point, I would like to focus our investigation on those investigated between the dates I mentioned before, and those with known death-based Traits, namely the Shinigami Trait. Mr. Yagami, I know you do not believe your sons are lying to you about their shared Trait, but they were being investigated during that period. At this stage, I'd like to place surveillance cameras and wiretaps in these households."

"Ryuzaki?!" Matsuda's eyes widened.

"I don't see how you could even consider this!" Aizawa snapped, "If this gets out, we could have a civil rights scandal on our hands!"

Soichiro was calmer, "Ryuzaki, what are the odds Kira is in one of those households?"

"Maybe 15% if we count the others besides the two households, but closer to five percent with those two alone." He was lying, he actually meant it was close to 70%, but he wasn't in the mood to listen to the chief's complaints.

"Seriously?" Matsuda asked, "I'm sorry, but it's not worth the risk."

"No." Soichiro said, "Of all the people we've investigated so far, not one of them seemed the least bit suspicious. Even if there's only a 1% chance, we cannot afford to ignore it. I cannot begin to tell you how offended I am to learn my family is under suspicion. Having said that, go ahead with it. And make sure to install them everywhere. I don't want any blind spots, and that includes the bathrooms."

L nodded, though he was a little surprised how well that worked. He turned around and subtly checked the amulet to make sure his Trait hadn't been making Mr. Yagami so compliant. When he was satisfied, this was the chief's own decision, he nodded, "Thank you, that was my intention."

"Come on, chief, you don't have to agree to this!" 

"Yes, he's right. What about your family? You have a wife and daughter at home!"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. But there's no point in doing any of this if we can't be thorough." 

"As a courtesy to the chief and his family, only he and I will conduct surveillance on his home." L said as he sat down, and found his mind drifting to his curiosity on the topic of the Yagami Twins, specifically Light, the Duel-Trait wielder. People like that were extraordinarily rare, only one in a million odds. That, added onto the genius intellect, L wondered if maybe the two of them weren't that different...

OoOoO

Light and Ryuk landed at the front door because, apparently, Ryuk locked the door to their balcony, which could only be unlocked from the inside.

"Light, I don't want that little brat across the street who's also got a flying Trait to steal my apples!" He defended, and Light rolled his eyes,

"And what about next door, the child with Teleporting? Will he steal your apples?"

"If he does, there's nothing I can do about that," Ryuk replied, "But that doesn't mean I'm just gonna sit by and let my apples be taken by some gremlin!"

"Alright, alright," Light went to open the door, only to find it locked, "Huh? Nobody's home yet. Ryuk, did Mom say anything to you about going out?" He asked as he opened the door, and Ryuk shrugged,

"None that I heard about, but maybe she went to get stuff for dinner. Or maybe she went to get a restock on apples, so you won't have anything to bribe me with anymore!" 

"Come on, you and I both know that even if Mom is getting apples, you will scarf them down faster than Sayu eats the chocolate. But if you really want me to not use your fruit addiction against you, you should do some chores around here to earn an allowance or get a job."

"Yeah, right." Ryuk scoffed as they went up the stairs, and Light gasped as he saw his door handle was at ninety degrees, and the pencil lead was broken. He opened the door, but the piece of paper fell out.

"Huh?" But Ryuk didn't notice,

"Hey, I don't think anyone's home right now. Wanna play some video games? You gotta do _something_ to take your mind off things."

Light laid on his bed, thinking, "You're right. I probably should. Wanna go flying for a bit? I'm a little stir crazy not able to use my flames, and haven't gotten my daily flight in."

Ryuk shrugged, "Okay. Where's the destination?"

"Bakery downtown?" Light got up, spreading his wings, "Come on!" He jumped out the window and flew away, followed by Ryuk. Once his brother got close enough, he grabbed Ryuk's wrist, "Someone was in there. The pencil lead was broken, doorknob at ninety degrees, but that same person put the piece of paperback in the door." 

"What?! I told you someone would try to steal my apples!"

"No, I don't think it's that." Light said, "It's probably L—that man has no limits. The better question is why Dad would agree to this. Maybe he's worried we have been trying the carranam bond in secret?" He crossed his arms, "So what we need to do is start doing things we would want to keep secret from Mom and Dad, but nothing incriminating."

"We could always play video games, and you scramble to your desk every time someone knocks on the door." Ryuk offered, "And buy some sweets!" Light grinned,

"I was going to buy some magazines, but I like your idea better. Because, let's be honest, me casually looking at those magazines with my twin brother in the room is a little weird." Ryuk laughed, 

"And, to be honest, we both know you're into guys."

"I'm not gay!"

"Fine. Bisexual." Ryuk flew off, cackling, and Light glowered, chasing after him.

OoOoO

After Light spent some time helping Ryuk actually study for the entrance exams in five days, they heard Sayu call to them that dinner was ready.

"Should we just leave the book on the floor?" Ryuk asked, and Light shrugged,

"To sell the story later." They got up and went downstairs to eat, seeing Sayu fangirling over that show with Hideki Ryuga.

"Sayu, eat your dinner," Sachiko said, and Ryuk winked,

"Come on, sis, you've got plenty of eye candy in the form of your brothers." He teased, "It should satisfy you for the time being."

Sayu looked at both of them in disgust, "But you're my brothers!"

"It doesn't mean we're not sexy."

Light facepalmed, "Oh my god, Ryuk, _no_."

Sayu rolled her eyes, and looked back to the television, "Huh? In response to the Kira murders, Interpol is dispatching 1500 investigators to Japan."

No way that was true. This was L trying to get a response out of Kira, just like with Lind L. Tailor. Well, he wasn't falling for it.

"The ICPO sure is stupid. There's no point in making this broadcast. If they're going to send all these people, shouldn't they keep it a secret? Not that it matters, because from what Dad said, those FBI agents had the information necessary to kill them discovered by Kira, so why give Kira the ammunition to have even more people borderline hostage?"

Ryuk nodded, "Hey, that's a good point. Either it's a lie, or these folks are suicidal. Or stupid. _Or_ they could be attempting to call Kira's bluff on having the needed info since he hasn't actually killed any of them."

...

L grinned with his thumb in his mouth, seeing how Light reacted to the news. _Gotcha, Kira—oh crap, he's hot._

"Your son is clever, isn't he? And it seems that Ryuuku can quickly catch on with whatever Light is thinking, but Light is the one in charge." He asked this almost in the form of a question to the chief, but he already knew the answer.

Soichiro turned to him, "Yes, they've always been able to almost read each other's thoughts. It's a talent they've had since they were born, and it got stronger when they got their flight Trait at the exact same time."

"Do you think it's on a level that they have a mind-reading Twin-Trait?"

"It would certainly explain why Ryuuku is passing, but there isn't really a way to test that, is there?"

"No, I suppose not. Even if there was, the confidentiality law makes it hard." He brightened as he got an idea, "Now if I met them in person, I could figure out if they have one."

...

Light went to grab two bags of potato chips, and Sayu looked at him judgingly, "Huh? Two bags of potato chips? Both of your good looks are going to go down the drain if you keep that up."

"It's a late-night snack for studying. One for me, and one for Ryuk. Since the entrance exams are so close, I'm sure you're actually going to study, right, Ryuk?"

"Sure, I guess," Ryuk replied with a small smirk on his face, then both twins went upstairs, shut and locked the door, and then the real show began, starting with Light wincing in pain.

"Ow." He sucked in a breath, glad he had been practicing feigning pain since he was young, "Hey, Ryuk, can you get me the gloves from the drawer?" Ryuk nodded, grabbing the gloves from a secret drawer. They were specifically designed for his Trait, working like hand braces with cooling in it.

The purpose of this was to show weakness, something he didn't do in front of people, and to have Ryuk put on the gloves on his hands, and that way his Tell would be hidden as he killed more criminals after seeing some names and faces from the mini TVs inside the potato chip bags.

Ryuk put the gloves on for him, and thankfully played the part of concerned brother, "Acting up again?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to worry Mom and Dad. Come on, let's play some games. When Mom and Sayu go to bed, I'll take some Advil."

Ryuk crawled next to him, opening the potato chips for both of them and turning on the council. From then on, Light killed some criminals while they played, and his black gloves hid his Tell completely.

He knew he should be studying, but this was to throw off L, he already knew the material, and stress relief was honestly kind of nice.

They played for a couple hours, then threw the chip bags away, and studied for a bit, sitting on the floor because neither wanted to sit at the desk. At some point, Ryuk fell asleep, still on the floor, and not giving a damn. Light had no plans of doing that, but he also didn't want his brother sleeping on the floor—but he also wasn't physically strong enough to carry Ryuk, so he just put a pillow under Ryuk's head, and threw a blanket over him, before walking downstairs to take some Advil to sell the story, changing into his pajamas and going to sleep.

Day one of surveillance went well. He and Ryuk would plan for tomorrow in the morning.

OoOoO

After about two days of watching the Yagami household, L was amazed by the bond the twins shared and managed to help each other with different aspects of life. Their relationship was interesting, but while it didn't reveal anything, it was good to note that Light only showed vulnerability around his twin, unless he was unable to stand on his own. 

Both twins also seemed to hold some insecurities about their parents' affection for them. Ryuuku wondered what his place was, feeling sometimes forgotten, and Light worried his parents only loved him due to his Duel-Trait and brains. Part of L wondered if they talked about this often or somehow knew their father was watching them through cameras and wanted to make him feel like a horrible person. It was hard to tell, with the way they were talking about that, because it was genuine on both sides, it could be seen in their eyes.

It also made him smile a little, how those gloves specifically designed to help someone with a Fire Trait also covered his hands, which meant that Light could very well be hiding a Tell under there. But even if that was the case, criminals had died who Light and Ryuuku shouldn't be aware of.

"Our surveillance of the Yagami household has revealed only a strong bond of trust between the Twins, something to be expected since they have a shared Trait." L looked up from his candy, seeing the chief was happy to hear this, "I will remove the cameras and wiretaps from the house."

"All that, and we don't have any suspects."

Soichiro sat straighter, "It's okay, Matsuda, we'll have to pursue other leads. But we'll get him."

"Oh, don't get the wrong idea," L said, "I only said we weren't able to _reveal_ anything." He looked down at his drink, seeing the reflection of his somewhat glowing quicksilver eyes.

_Kira never stopped killing people even while the cameras were in place. I can't count on Kira making any mistakes. It doesn't matter how long we watch him, he's still not going to expose himself to us. So what should I do... Ideally, I would get to know him well enough that he would admit to me that he was Kira or be able to meet him and get a feel for his Trait. The next step is obviously to find out if Light and Ryuuku have the Shinigami Trait. But if one of them has the eyes, that could very easily cost me my life in a matter of minutes afterward, and they would know my Trait, which could easily be used against me._

_No... even if one of them is Kira, it is obvious they either are working together, or one is aware of the other's crimes and simply doesn't care. And they might not have that Trait, even if they do, Light is smart enough to know that killing me any time soon would lead the task force right to them._

He looked up with a small smile as he developed a plan.


	8. Chapter 8

"Light, Ryuuku, hurry up, you don't want to be late!" Sachiko called to her sons as they did a check of the room and noticed all the cameras were gone. This was done by using a device Light paid a classmate to make for him yesterday, which made all electronic devices in the room turn on and beep. The only sounds came from the television and the computer. Perfect. 

Light handed Ryuk a flashcard for him to study on the flight there, and they both walked out the door and leaped into the air.

"So, what's the plan, Light?" Ryuk asked, "Now what the cameras are gone."

"We'll have to use Dad to learn L's true identity so we can eliminate him. Or, rather, I kill him since I doubt you will be of any help. But once we get into university, it will be a lot easier to work as Kira." He held out his hand, "Read your flashcard, Ryuk, we have to make sure you pass this. I'll guide you there." Ryuk obeyed, but he didn't seem to be paying too much attention to the flashcard. At least an attempt was made.

They arrived ten minutes before the exam started, and Light rolled his eyes, "Look at that, we got here early."

"Aren't we closer to late?" Ryuk asked, "Oh, right, you prefer being here three minutes before."

In these kinds of tests, students were assigned seats by lottery, so friends wouldn't sit next to friends. 

There was a specific rule to these tests: "Don't get caught cheating." Did you catch it? Don't get _caught_ cheating, not don't cheat. This meant every single person with Traits such as mind-reading and Broadband was most definitely cheating right now, and it didn't matter who they sat next to.

But one of Light's biggest pet peeves was being cheated off of, so he was wearing a unique watch that could block out those with a mind-reading Trait. It was basically a huge middle finger to them and saying, "take your own damn test." Ryuk had one too, but nobody was going to be peeking in his mind—not even Light, his own brother, was brave enough to imagine the apple fantasies he was thinking of right now.

"And begin," the supervisor said, and Light looked at the first question.

_If an individual possesses an Aerokinetic Trait that permits them the use of winds of up to two-hundred kilometers per hour, what is their best method of attacking a villain who possesses an Electric Type ability in a crowded civilian area?_

Battle theory? That was easy enough.

Aerokinesis translated to Wind Manipulation. It was a reasonably rare Trait in while it had a variety of unique forms, was universally quite a dangerous ability. Perhaps more so than the average Pyrokinetic. With winds at up to two-hundred kilometers an hour—speeds capable of sending a grounded passenger plane into the sky—any combat, regardless of what the opponents type of Trait was, was a practical impossibility.

 _Assuming that the Trait belonging to the person is simply the power to increase the wind currents around them, which is a reasonable thing to expect with the lack of specification..._ Light considered, going through the various possibilities and circumstances needed to understand this question's limitations.

Going full gale force on the opposing villain would be disastrous, considering in a rural area, this would cause unprecedented damage to civilian homes and businesses. That level of wind was easily capable of tearing an entire district to pieces.

 _The best solution is to draw out the villain from rural areas via using the Wind Manipulation powers to blow them away to a more secluded area and then hammer them with constant blasts of harsh wind energy._ Light thought to himself, scribbling his working out and answer down in the boxes provided.

It didn't take long to finish the test, and Light knew he couldn't leave until Ryuk was done too, so he decided to stare blankly into space and contemplate his plans for what he would do in university. He knew he couldn't risk thinking about Kira related things, just in case, there was a particularly strong mind-reader here who could get past the watch's defenses.

He was brought from his thoughts when the supervisor started walking in his direction, before walking behind him,

"You there, student number 162, sit properly in your seat." 

Curious, Light turned just a little bit and saw an unusual man with skin as pale as snow, midnight black hair with navy blue highlights, bags under his eyes, and his most striking feature was quicksilver eyes, which were almost glowing at the angle the sun hit them.

Light didn't know who his man was, just that he already knew this wasn't going to be the last time he saw him.

OoOoO

It was four months later, and both Light and Ryuk had gotten into To-Oh University. While nobody was surprised Light not in, Ryuk was a shock to everyone who heard. Most people thought it was dumb luck, but in actuality, Light knew Ryuk had enough knowledge about the Traits of others, thanks to his Shinigami eyes, that he was able to answer any questions relating to Traits with ease, and use that information to solve other problems, and had genuinely studied.

"We're college students now, that's kind of exciting. I'm filled with joy." He looked down at his suit in disgust, "But I hate dressing up so much. Can't I just wear my usual leather jacket."

"No, it's not formal enough for this kind of thing. But let me guess, you want celebratory dinner with a lot of apples involved?"

"You know me so well." Ryuk grinned, and they took their seats in the front, waiting for the ceremony to start.

"Now for the freshman address, freshman representative Light Yagami. And freshman representative Hideki Ryuga."

Light walked up to the stage, followed by a man he recognized from the exams.

_I knew I'd be giving the address with one other student, but I never expected this. When I saw him during the exams, it seemed like he was off in his own world. What's his Trait, I wonder. Maybe he's got an intelligence-based one?_

They got to the stage and did the speech, which went well, though it was clear many were appalled by how Ryuga was dressed, or confused why he had the same name as a pop star and actor.

"Show us your Trait!" Someone called to Light on the stage, followed by many others. Light chuckled, letting his wings out,

"As you wish," he said quietly to the microphone, and flew into the air, using his fire to create cheery blossoms. It was a peculiar thing about his Trait that he could generate different colors of fire if he wished, meaning the flame he used here was pink. It didn't take much out of him to do this, but it was easier to use normal fire. Regardless, it got enthusiastic cheers out of everyone, and an intrigued look from Ryuga.

While he was just giving them a show before landing back on the stage and bowing, this was more a power move on his part than anything else.

"Impressive." Ryuga said as they walked back, "You practice a lot? Normally those with such skill in an inherently combat-based Trait have had a traumatic moment involving that Trait." Suddenly, Ryuga tripped, and Light, on instinct, caught him. He looked up at Light with wide eyes before a smile that could almost be called a smirk appeared on his face.

"Oh, sorry, Light Yagami. Thanks for catching me."

"No problem." Light said as they sat down, "Just try to be more careful."

They both sat down, and Light took note of Ryuga's unusual sitting position, or rather squat. And he was unnerved by what the young man next to him started saying,

"You plan to join the police agency when you graduate, following in the footsteps of your father, Soichiro Yagami. You've already helped out on several cases in the past. Now, you're showing interest in the Kira case. I'm impressed by your abilities and your sense of justice. If you promise not to tell anyone, I have important information regarding the Kira investigation that I'd like to share with you."

_Where's this coming from? And who is he? Is it safe to ignore him? But I wonder what this information actually is._

He turned to look at Ryuk next to him, who was looking at Ryuga with wide, somewhat terrified eyes. Who was this person who could seemingly inspire fear in even Ryuk? But that did mean it most likely wasn't safe to ignore him.

"I won't tell anyone. What is it?"

Ryuga looked at him with intense quicksilver eyes, which sent shivers down Light's spine. Then he said the words that very nearly petrified him:

"I want to tell you, I am L."

 _What?! T-There's no way! What's he talking about?! If he really was L, he'd never admit to it! I thought this guy was a bit strange, but this is pretty extreme._ He continued to panic for a moment, stammering in his brain until he remembered he needed to remain calm. _Stop. This isn't good, but don't act surprised. If he really is L, I have to act how Soichiro Yagami's son, Light Yagami, would react in this situation—there'd be no reason for him to be afraid._

"If you are who you say you are, then you have nothing but my respect and admiration."

"Thank you," L said, "The reason I chose to reveal myself to you is that I think you and, to some extent, your brother will be of some help to us on the investigation."

...

_Light Yagami, the likelihood that you are Kira was just under 5%, but now that I know you have the Shinigami Trait, it is up to 15%, because for all I know, this is your big secret, not that you use it, but merely possess this Trait. However, if you are Kira, I cannot imagine a more stressful scenario than this one, also because you don't have the eyes. Even if your brother does, I have yet to tell, but you are smart enough to know that I have most likely told at least someone where I'm going and who I'm seeing, meaning killing me would lead them right to your door._

...

_If he is L—no, even if he's not—I can't do anything to him! If what he's saying is true, it probably means he's already shown his face to my father. If he were to die right after meeting me, it would only confirm their suspicions._

_Hideki Ryuga is clearly an absurd alias. Furthermore, even if I get lucky and it isn't, I might accidentally kill the pop idol Hideki Ryuga, and that will also confirm L's suspicions._

_Is he really L? Does he already suspect that I'm Kira? It's hard to say how much he knows, but add this onto the cameras, and I must be under suspicion. What other reason could he have for telling Soichiro Yagami's son that he's L?! I can't let him see any signs of distress. It's better if I just clear my mind._

He used his usual tactic for calming himself down: counting doubles. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128...

This went on until he was well into the hundred million digits but then began to worry he had missed a number at some point. He had to start over but knew he had lost it, too distracted by L staring at him, almost as though the detective was staring into his soul.

After the ceremony was over, Light and Ryuk nearly speed-walked out.

"I didn't think the ceremony would be so exciting," Ryuk said, and they both turned when they heard L's voice.

"Hey, Light, Ryuuku."

"You here that?" Ryuk taunted, "I think it's your new friend." To L, he chirped, "You can call me Ryuk. Ryuuku is what my parents call me, but nobody else."

L held out to shake his hand, and Light noticed Ryuk didn't take it, looking at the extended limb until L awkwardly retracted it. 

"Uh... nice meeting you." He said as he went to get in the car.

"The pleasure was mine." Light replied, earning a small smile from L.

"Well, I'm sure I'll see you on campus."

"Take care." 

...

The moment he was alone with nobody except the driver, L acknowledged the cold metal of the amulet chilling his skin under his shirt, and slid it out, holding the small trinket in his hand, but leaving the chain around his neck. 

He now knew that Light had the Shinigami Trait, and Ryuk's rejection of a handshake most likely meant he had the eyes and knew to make physical contact with someone with L's Trait could very well screw him over.

It was unlike him, but he laughed. If one of them was Kira, how would they react, assuming at this point they both knew L's Trait?

It was bound to be interesting.

...

After flying home without a word, Light sat in his desk, and only then did he allow himself to lose his shit.

"Damnit! He got me! Damn L! I've never been so humiliated in my life!"

"Why not just do the eye deal?" Ryuk offered, "Because honestly, I saw his name, and I cannot even believe that's actually the name on his birth certificate. I mean, really, his parents have to be pretty cruel."

"And what good will Shinigami eyes do me if this is just a trap?!" Light was almost on the brink of sobbing, and that never happened. L had really gotten under his skin, "If I kill him and it turns out he's not really L, that's like announcing to the real L that I am Kira! I want nothing more than to kill him, but if I do, it's like asking to get caught." He turned in his chair, hands on his temples, "At first, I planned that when I found out his name, I'd have him die in an accident or kill himself. However, none of that will do me any good unless I know with 100% certainty that this guy is L. It's already too late to do anything about it since he's approached me and introduced himself as L, doesn't matter how sure I am. Regardless of the cause of death, if L dies now, the police will suspect the two of us! I underestimated him. I never even considered the idea he would come up to me on purpose. He got me. It was a good move."

"Yeah, and his Trait is one terrifying doozy." Ryuk mused, and Light snapped up,

"What was his Trait?"

"I'm not telling." Ryuk replied, "Namely because I can't really think of a way to describe it. I'll just say that his Trait on the surface is passive and harmless, but in the hands of someone like L, who has the resources and the brains to make it deadly, his Trait is unlike anything I've seen before."

"That's not good." Light sighed, "I'm sure I haven't seen the last of Ryuga. He'll keep trying to move in on me, playing the absent-minded genius, and I doubt he will tell me what his Trait is, assuming it's really as dangerous as you say. And we'll pretend like nothing's going on." He then chuckled, "This is perfect, regardless of his Trait. There's no reason for me to be worried. After all, this is proof the police don't have anything on me yet. So this whole thing is nothing more than a contest between L and me. A match of wits. On the surface, we'll be two friendly classmates. But in reality, we'll actually be investigating each other." He crossed his arms, "This is interesting, Ryuga. If it's my friendship you want, I'll gladly give it. And in time, I'll earn your trust. Once you've told me what I want to know, there'll be no point keeping you alive."

"So... is this a bad time to mention he most definitely knows you have the Shinigami Trait?"

"WAIT, WHAT?!"


	9. Chapter 9

After what was easily the most intense tennis match that Light had ever played, mostly because he was stressing about the idea that L knew he had the Shinigami Trait and had told someone. The worst possible scenario was him telling their father! Just thinking about that made Light sick.

"It's been a while since I've had to play that hard." Light said, remembering back when he was a champion, "I'm thirsty. And I have something I want to ask you, Ryuga, so do you want to go get a drink?"

"I'm thirsty too," Ryuk added in, continuing to watch L like a hawk, but not touch him. From what Light had gathered, L's Trait was touch-based, which didn't seem all that convenient since judging by his complexion, he never left the house.

Then again, his snow-white skin could easily be just a Quirk of his Trait, same with his navy highlights and quicksilver eyes. A Quirk was a physical attribute gained by a Trait. Light's crimson eyes were his, and Matsuda had pads on his fingertips like one would use while using touchscreen technology.

Light had a theory what L's Trait was, and if he was right—never in his life had he hoped so desperately that he was wrong—then Ryuk was correct that L's power is terrifying. In itself, it wasn't all that bad, but seeing as he had likely found a way to amplify it, he could be near unbeatable in a fight.

"I'll tell you whatever I can." L replied, hands in his pockets, "But before that, I have something I must say to you."

"What is it?" Light asked, wondering if this was the moment he would reveal he knew about the Shinigami Trait.

"I suspect that you, Light and Ryukku Yagami, are, in fact, Kira." They stopped walking, "If you still want to ask me, go ahead."

Light laughed a little, "You think Ryuk or I am Kira?"

"Well, it's only about 1%. That aside, once I'm sure that you aren't Kira and because you have sharp deductive abilities, I'd like for you to work with me on this investigation." He started walking, and Light turned to Ryuk,

"1%, huh? That's well-worded. Even if he suspects us just a little, it still means he has grounds to prevent us from meeting anyone on the task force. Which means he beat me to the punch."

Ryuk nodded, "And he's lying about 1%."

"Oh, absolutely."

OoOoO

The three of them sat down in Light's favorite coffee shop, "This coffee shop is one of my favorites. If we sit here, there's no chance of anyone overhearing us."

"This is a lovely spot you've shown me." L said, looking around, and Light nodded,

"And we're in a spot where nobody will give you a hard time about the way you sit."

"I don't sit like this because I want to, I have to sit like this. If I sit normally, my deductive skills drop by 40%. So what did you want to ask me?"

"That can wait until you're sure that I'm not Kira." Light assured, watching Ryuk scarf down an entire apple pie. How he had any form of abs was a mystery, "You can talk about whatever you want to."

L cocked his head, his thumb in his mouth, "Even if you are Kira, I would like for us to work together on this investigation. Do you know why?" Light's interest peaked. He still worried he might really need to get the eyes of Ryuk didn't help him with this, especially if L's name was a strange as Ryuk had implied. Light's worst nightmare was that L's name would be one of those that was unpronounceable, leaving him unable to kill the bastard even if he got the name. Like those islands in Norway, that had zeros in it, and you can't find a pronunciation anywhere.

He already knew L's name being something like Luke was too good to be true.

"If I cooperate with you," he explained, "The investigation will move forward, and if I really am Kira, I might reveal myself. In other words, conduct the case while investigating me all at once. I think it's a great idea but aren't you getting the wrong idea, Ryuga? I'm interested in the Kira case, and detective work is a hobby of mine, but I am not Kira, and I don't want him to kill me."

Ryuk chuckled, "Say, Ryuga, L, whatever, how do we know _you_ aren't Kira? We don't know your Trait."

L sent them both a look that sent Light's stomach in knots, because L was saying, "Bitch, that's a lie, and we both know it. Do you really want me to say it aloud?" 

"N-Neither of us has evidence that we aren't Kira." Light cursed himself, hoping L hadn't heard the slight stutter, "But Ryuga, if you are L, I'm sure you can show me proof of that. Like having someone in the task force or my father tells me that you are really L in person. If you can't, I can't work with you.

...

Light was terrified, and L knew it. He could almost feel the fear pulsing off him, while Ryuuku had an amused aura to him.

_You talk a lot, don't you, Light? Typical for someone who hates to lose. Make that twenty percent. Could he really be? Then why wouldn't he have made the temporary eye deal?_

_I suppose they could honestly be trying to deny to themselves that they have a death-based Trait, so they wouldn't know about the temporary deal if they were to join powers. And if this is the case, Light likely isn't Kira. Or he is Kira, and his brother forgot to mention that, or even he doesn't know._

"I never said that I wouldn't let you meet anyone from the task force headquarters." He said, "I am currently working with your father. If I take you, and you'll help with the investigation, am I correct in this assumption?"

...

_What is he thinking?! Does this guy have a death wish?_

He then remembered how L had been taunting him all those months ago, encouraging Kira to kill him. Maybe he really did have a death wish.

He snapped down to his pocket when his phone rang at the same time as L's. He picked up the phone, hearing his mother's frantic voice,

"Light, is Ryuuku with you? Something terrible has happened."

L looked up at him in panic, "Light, your father has...!"

Light was shocked, unable to believe what he had just heard from his mother, "Father... he had a heart attack!"

OoOoO

They were sitting in the hospital with Soichiro. Ryuk had confirmed in secret that their father still had a good chunk of lifespan, so he was going to be okay. With this knowledge in mind, it was a little harder for both Yagami Twins to pretend they were worried when they no longer had a reason to.

"You're sure it's just stress, right?" Light asked.

"Yes." Their father nodded, "When I collapsed, I thought it was Kira, but I'm all right. I've been pushing myself a bit hard lately."

"Especially since your sons are suspected of being Kira." L said bluntly, making both twins look at him, flabbergasted.

"You've told that to father?!" They both asked, then smiled a little at each other before going back to glaring at L,

"Yes. I've told your father everything. Even the fact that I'm L, as well as the Trait you've kept hidden." Light's heart clenched, afraid of what his father would think of that Trait.

"That's right." Soichiro said, "He's L. We call him Ryuzaki so others can't find out, but there's no mistaking it." His eyes grew sad, "Light, Ryuuku, what have you been lying to me for years about your Trait?"

"Three guesses why," Ryuk replied somewhat bitterly, "And it's not like we use it except for flying. Imagine the judgment towards you if your twin sons were discovered to be Shinigami."

Light's thoughts began to wander with this new information. _He's the real L. My father is telling me so. The same L who has been ordering the police until now. If I get rid of him and the investigative team—No, it's probably not that simple. There's no need to rush. I'll have time to spy from here on. At any rate, I have to be the Light Yagami, who is worried about his father._

"So Ryuzaki, has talking with my sons cleared away your suspicions?" Soichiro asked.

"I'll say that I suspect them," L replied, "But even with the fact they hid their Trait for so long, it's only a little." Light wasn't sure if L was lying or not, but it didn't hurt to join the investigation.

"Ryuga, I'll cooperate with you on this investigation. My father has vouched that you're L. I want to catch Kira and prove that Ryuk and I aren't him."

"Light," his father protested, "You need to wait, finish your studies. It won't be too late to join us afterward."

"Dad, what are you talking about? I don't know how many years that'll take. I promised you, didn't l? If something happened to you, I'd be the one to get Kira executed."

...

_It's hard to believe this is all an act._ L realized, _If it is an act, it's too cheesy._

...

"Light, Ryuuku, listen to me." Their father insisted, "The fact of the matter is Kira is evil. But recently, I've been thinking about it in this way. The real evil is the power to kill people. People who attain that kind of Trait are cursed. No matter how you use it, nothing gained by killing people can bring true happiness."

"Gee, thanks, Dad," Ryuk snapped, "It's not like you recently figured out your two sons have a death-based Trait or anything." A nurse came in before anyone could respond,

"Excuse me. Visiting hours were over ten minutes ago."

The three of them walked out, and Light paused,

"Ryuga. Is there any way that I can get you to believe that we're not Kira?" L turned,

"If you aren't Kira, there wouldn't be any need to do that."

"Cut that out!" Light snapped, "Think about how it feels to be accused of being Kira."

L looked up at the sky, where the stars could barely be seen due to the light-pollution, "It would be the worst feeling ever."

"How about keeping watch over me in a place without even TV for a month?" Light offered, but he had the names and faces of many criminals he kept in his memory for a situation like this. It should be easy enough to hide his hands if he had long sleeves on. 

He noticed Ryuk's interest peak.

...

_Would someone really go that far to clear their name?_ L wondered. _He does have the Shinigami Trait, but he would need names and faces in his memory. Could he even do it?_

"For that test to work as a guarantee, I would need to put a Trait suppression collar on you, but those are currently experimental and have unknown side effects. I can't do anything which would deprive you of basic human rights. And furthermore, It's nonsense to take suggestions from the suspect. We'll know in time if you're not Kira." He started to walk away from them and get in the car, "Also, during that exchange with your father, I thought that you might not be Kira." He shut the door, but left the window open, "Well then, take care of your father."

"Oh, one more thing." Light said moments before the window closed, "I said that I would cooperate with the investigation, but I don't think I can do anything until my father is well again."

"I understand." L nodded, closing the window as the car drove away.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Light out of his mind.

_Light Yagami, are you not Kira?_

...

_Well, then Hideki Ryuga, Ryuzaki. He's the L I've been fighting. What is his real name?_

Light looked to Ryuk, "You know, even when I was little, I never once felt cursed with this power." Ryuk shrugged, and Light's brow furrowed, "Why have you been pushing me to take the eye deal."

"Reverse psychology." Ryuk replied simply, "The harder I push you, the less likely you'll do it." He started to fly in the direction of home, but Light followed him,

"So, you don't want me taking the eye deal?"

"You're my brother." Was Ryuk's answer, "Besides, if you get the eyes, this whole thing will be over too quickly, and it won't be fun." He winked, "Oh come on, you gotta admit L's kinda cute." Light huffed, knowing Ryuk was taunting him,

"He's not unpleasant to look at. But that doesn't mean anything. I'm still going to kill him when I get the chance." He flew a little quicker to escape the merciless taunts he was sure were going to come after him, and Ryuk laughed,

"Your blush is betraying you, brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confirmed characteristics of L's Trait: touch-based, harmless on its own, knows the Trait of others after making physical contact


	10. Chapter 10

L had been watching Matsuda play with his Broadband Trait to transfer files to different devices, no email or message required, when he got a call from Watari, _"Ryuzaki. Take a look at Sakura TV. Something is happening."_

Sakura TV? He sent a look to the task force, saying, "Welcome to the show, this is gonna be interesting." Then he turned on the television,

"In other words, we are all Kira's hostages. It is also our duty as news broadcasters to give you this announcement. Please understand this is not a hoax and that we are not airing these tapes solely for sensationalism."

"Kira's hostages?" Aizawa asked, "What is this?"

"Four days ago, our program director was sent these four tapes. Without a doubt, they are from Kira. The first tape predicted the time of death of two suspected felons yesterday. As predicted, they died yesterday under suspicious circumstances."

"If this is true, it really is something that only Kira could do." L said, "But why didn't they just say heart attacks...?" His eyes widened as an idea popped into his head. Then he shook it away, deciding to not worry about that until he got confirmation that it wasn't a heart attack.

"And Kira has instructed us to air these two tapes today at exactly 5:59 PM. A tape which proves he is Kira, and one with a message to the people of the world."

"Well, it's probably just another fake, isn't it?" Matsuda asked, "I mean, this is Sakura TV."

"No," Aizawa said, "Not even Sakura TV would stoop that low."

The message from Kira began,

"I am Kira."

 _Kira said that he was going to send a message to the people of the world._ L jumped up, "Something terrible will happen if we don't stop this broadcast! Get Sakura TV on the line!"

Matsuda instantly had all the cell phones in the room trying to call, "It's no good. No one I know at the station has their cell phones on."

Ukita went to leave, "I'll go there and stop this broadcast myself!" He then activated his Trait and got there within moments.

"Everyone, please listen to me." Kira said, "I don't want to kill the innocent, I hate evil and love justice. I consider the police as allies and not my enemy."

L bit his thumb, "Damn you, Kira."

Matsuda had been watching the news just outside Sakura TV, and his eyes widened when he saw Ukita _explode_ , reduced to red mist.

"Someone has exploded!" The reporter said in a panic, "We're in front of the Sakura TV studio!"

Aizawa was pale as a sheet, "U-Ukita! Damn it! It's Kira, isn't it?!" He ran out the door, and L turned,

"Mr. Aizawa. Where are you going?"

"Where Ukita is, of course!"

"That wouldn't be good, you will just meet the same fate. Please think about this rationally."

"Are you telling me that we should just quietly watch TV here?!" Aizawa snapped, and L turned to a panicking Matsuda,

"Kira shouldn't be able to kill without a name! So how could this happen! Our aliases and fake police ID are pointless! You don't think Kira already knows our names?"

"That may be so, but this isn't the Kira we know." L said, "The Trait is clearly different. The Kira we have been fighting until now has the Shinigami Trait, but this one seems to only need a face to kill. If this is a Duel-Trait user, they would be too easy to catch."

Matsuda's eyes were flying under his eyelids, "You're right! Light is the only Duel-Trait user born with a death-based Trait. I suppose Kira could have a copying Trait and be able to get those two Traits as part of him."

Ah, an artificial Multi-Trait wielder. L had thought of that possibility, and he became painfully aware of the amulet around his neck. But those with that Trait only kept that copy for an hour, except for the 0.001% chance they kept that Trait permanently. But people with that power were uncommon in and of themselves.

"You're saying this is a second Kira?!" Mogi asked.

"Exactly." L replied, snapping out of his thoughts, "According to my research, the Trait that most likely it would be Obliteration. All I can say is that Kira is within that television station or is in a place where he can watch who enters the building."

"If Kira is in that area, isn't that more of a reason to go?!" Aizawa asked.

"He may have only placed surveillance cameras in the area. If we go there unprepared, we'll just be killed." He felt something snap inside him when Aizawa, still shouting, grabbing his shoulder painfully. He started shaking, memories of his parents flooding through him, and it grew increasingly difficult to—

Aizawa squeezed harder on L's shoulder.

An explosion tore out of L's body, sending the furniture flying and shattering, and the members of the task force crashed against the wall. Matsuda had managed to save one of the televisions.

"Risking my life and doing something that'll easily get me killed are entirely different things." L said calmly, looking around at the destruction he had caused. He ran his hands through his hair, cursing himself for letting PTSD make him lose his control over his Trait.

"W-What was that?" Aizawa asked, and Matsuda turned to the older officer,

"I think you freaked him out and he lost control of his Trait, which is clearly not just intelligence-based like I thought." 

"Please control yourself." L whispered, "We've lost Ukita. If something were to happen to you as well..."

Matsuda brought over the salvaged TV, "Ryuzaki, I have an idea, can you get access to a security camera inside Sakura TV?"

"Yes. On my computer." He walked over and grabbed his computer, hacking into the cameras.

Matsuda placed a hand on the computer and teleported into the building, and used Broadband to get access to the tapes, threatening to blow Demegawa to kingdom come. It was a bluff, L could tell, Matsuda didn't have the heart to kill someone, but it worked well enough. 

L picked up his phone when Matsuda called _"Ryuzaki... I need some help."_

"How so? You can teleport through this phonecall."

 _"Yeah,_ I _can."_ L sighed as realization dawned on him,

"You can't take the tapes with you."

 _"N-No. The WiFi signal isn't strong enough."_ Aizawa snatched the phone from L,

"You're in a television station! How is there not a strong enough WiFi signal?!" Matsuda didn't get to respond before an armored police car crashed through the doors of the building, as seen on another camera.

 _"Chief!"_ They heard Matsuda shout, and everyone looked at each other.

"Well, that's one way to solve the problem." L mused, "Matsuda, can I talk to the chief?" The phone was passed to Soichiro, "Mr. Yagami, are you okay?"

 _"Yes. To be honest, I've never felt more alive."_ That was the adrenaline talking, which could very easily cause another heart attack. L knew he had to be careful.

"Mr. Yagami, use the armored truck to bring Matsuda back to the station. He has the tapes, but the WiFi signal isn't strong enough for him to teleport to us with them."

_"Okay."_

OoOoO

Matsuda was helping Soichiro walk, coming in with the tapes. He sat the chief down and started using his Trait to search websites for ways to help.

L looked at the envelope with the tapes. _The postmark is from Osaka. Unless this is a Duel-Trait wielder, that means the second Kira did this himself. But I know this second Kira isn't Ryuk or Light._

"Mr. Aizawa. Could you take this to the crime lab?" He asked, and noticed there was a gash on Aizawa's forehead from the explosion earlier.

"I have a lot of contacts in the lab. I'll be sure to check this out thoroughly." L knew the officer was watching him, trying to learn what his Trait was, but that wouldn't happen.

"Please do. I shall check the contents of the duplicate tapes."

Soichiro looked around at the torn apart room, "What happened in here?"

OoOoO

After watching the tapes, L decided he really didn't like this second Kira. The original was so much better at this and was more fun to battle against.

"Ryuzaki, what's on them?" Matsuda asked. L turned,

"They're fascinating tapes. If the police had said yes and cooperated with Kira, tape number three was to be aired. And if it was a no, number four was to be aired. Tape three details the conditions for cooperation. Primarily, to broadcast more criminals. He seems especially interested in those who had hurt people or criminals who had taken advantage of others. And Kira would play the judge in all of this."

L wondered if the real Kira approved of this in any way, or would kill this imposter when they were caught. Honestly, the idea was appealing to L.

"Furthermore, as proof that the police are cooperating, he said that he wanted the task force and L to appear on TV and announce they will work with him. In other words, have us show our faces so that if we do anything suspicious, he can kill us." He chuckled because he could throw in another stand-in, and this Kira would be none the wiser. Actually, the second Kira would be frustrated beyond belief if L was the one to go on.

"So, what if we had answered no?"

"Basically the same thing, just worded differently. Mr. Yagami, the answer is 'No,' of course. Please allow Sakura TV to air the fourth video." 

L replayed the fake Kira's words in his head again: "I think it is unfortunate that your answer is no. The police have answered they still wish to fight me. So I will first take the life of the director-general of the NPA. Or, I may take the life of the L who is leading the investigation. The director-general or L. Who will you hand out as a sacrifice for not cooperating to create a peaceful world? Please decide in four days."

...

"Huh." 

Ryuk looked to Light, "What do you mean, 'huh'?"

"I didn't expect to gain an ally with a Trait like that." He crossed his arms, "The problem is I don't know their limits. Does he need only a face, or is it a name as well, like me? Regardless, it is likely that Kira's killing abilities are far stronger than mine. If I leave things the way they are, L should be finished off within the next four days." He turned to his brother, "But I can't forgive the impostor for dragging down Kira's image with these senseless killings. I can't let him run wild for too long."

Ryuk was unable to follow this, "Do you want him as an ally?"

"Why good would it do for me?" Light asked with a small laugh, "Any relation with the imposter could get me caught, and this person is dragging Kira's name through the mud. And I can't even use him for anything worthwhile since our Traits are noticeably different. What I need most now is to join the task force and figure out L's moves, and the fake Kira's actions. I don't care what happens to him after that. Maybe I'll kill this fake myself." 

OoOoO

Aizawa came in with some papers, "Ryuzaki, it's as you thought. Leaders of several countries have talked, and they want the real L to appear on TV."

L nodded, having seen this coming, "That would be the most reasonable choice. Well, we still have three days, so let's think of a measure to prevent all that. However, as annoying as it may be," he took a bite of cake, "The idea of being killed by the first person to jump on the Kira bandwagon, I am not worried."

Matsuda raised an eyebrow, "Not worried? Why?"

L put a finger to his lips, "My secret." He lowered his finger, "But I really don't like how this Kira operates. Kira has always avoided innocent victims, even sparing the lives of those who tried to catch him. Last I checked, all twelve FBI agents are still alive as proof. But this Kira is okay with exploding anyone who stands against him."

"So," Matsuda said, "By comparison, the Kira we're used to dealing with is significantly better."

"Yes. Kira is a vigilante, but Muerte, as I will begin calling the new Kira, has crossed the line into villain territory." L explained, beginning to pace, "What worries me is the 30% chance the two have no connection whatsoever, and this is a villain using Kira's name to throw another under the bus. However, if we catch Muerte, we might get a hint as to how we can find Kira. Mr. Yagami, may I ask your sons to cooperate in this investigation?"

Soichiro brightened, "Does that mean they are no longer suspects?"

"I can't say that they've been cleared, but Light's deductive skills will be invaluable. And I'm intrigued by the bond the twins have. It seems they are never apart, and I would hate to separate brothers. I've even noticed Ryuuku has his own strengths, which could prove beneficial."

Soichiro sighed, "So that's what it means. If my sons want to cooperate with you, I have no reason to stop you."

"Thank you."

_I wonder what the two of them think about this new Kira._

OoOoO

"Misa, why don't you use your Trait more for yourself?" Rem asked, flying just about her younger sister's head. 

Rem Amane. Trait — Shinigami. Alongside killing power, Rem possesses Shinigami's eyes. However, a drawback is she cannot use her Trait to save the life of another, or she will lose her Trait, and her mind will shatter. 

"I am using it for myself." Misa replied, "I believe in what Kira is doing. I want to know what kind of person Kira is. I want to meet and talk to him. I sent those videos to the television station for that reason." She skipped down the street, "I bet that got his attention. I'm sure of it."

"This is a dangerous game." Rem reminded her worriedly, brushing a strand of her white and purple hair out of her face, "You might be killed."

"It's all right." Misa assured, "I'm sure that Kira is kind to those with pure hearts. But if it came down to that, I'm still stronger than he is, because I have the eyes!"

Misa Amane. Trait – Obliteration. Misa possesses the ability to completely annihilate anything she touches (or focuses on for forty seconds). When she activates this power, her body sends a tremendous amount of energy onto a specific target, causing it to explode outwardly, without the requirements of creating an explosion with nitroglycerine. The amount of force is so vast that, when activated, Obliteration will leave nothing left of what it has destroyed. She can only use this Trait if she has the face of the person she wishes to destroy. Overusing this Trait with direct touch will cause the aftereffects of the explosions to be redirected back into its user. Overuse with indirect use will cause organ failure. This Trait is ineffective on those with the same Trait.

Misa Amane. Sub-Trait — Shinigami Eyes. Misa can see the name, lifespan, and Trait of anyone after seeing their face. 


	11. Chapter 11

_"Light, Ryuzaki says he wants you to help with the investigation. If you're interested, come immediately and bring Ryuuku with you."_

"Okay, Dad." Light hung up the phone, "I was trying to find a way to get involved in the investigation. I never thought L himself would ask me. Now I can get inside information about the investigation and about the fake Kira. I need to find out about fake Kira before anyone else at task force headquarters does."

"Maybe you should suggest there be an announcement proving this isn't Kira. You don't want people thinking the vigilante has turned full villain on us." Ryuk suggested, and Light nodded,

"You're right."

OoOoO

"Thank you, Light," L said, and Light nodded,

"Not at all. Ryuga, we both want to catch Kira."

"Please call me Ryuzaki here," L said, and Light turned to look at Ryuk, who shook L's hand reluctantly. For a split second, Light could have sworn L's eyes turned red, but then realized it was the reflection of his own crimson eyes in L's silver ones. The task force proceeded to introduce themselves with their aliases,

"I see." Light chuckled, seeing the look on Ryuk's face as he could acknowledge his Shinigami eyes and how worthless the aliases were to him, "Well, would it be all right if we're Light and Ryuuku Asahi?"

"Please do." L said, "However, seeing as everyone knows you as Light Firebringer, I would say aliases won't do much for you." Ryuk laughed,

"Ah, brother, I told you all that fame would screw you over." Light sent him a dirty look but knew he wasn't wrong. If this fake Kira decided to go after him, he was done for. 

"I will call you Light here." Ryuzaki said, his blue hair highlighted in the lighting, "Now to business." He sat both brothers down, "Take a look at our current information. I also want you to examine this video, which was sent to the television station but was never released to the public. Taking any material from this room or taking notes is forbidden."

Ryuk got comfortable, "Alrighty, then, play it, let's so how pathetic this is." Light rolled his eyes and watched as the video started, and it took all of two seconds for Light to realize Ryuk had been, unfortunately, correct,

_This video is so mediocre! Why I feel so disgusted when I watch this is because I'm the real Kira? This is more than just about tarnishing Kira 's reputation, this is just an insult!_

"Light, what do you think?" Ryuzaki asked, "Did you get something from it?" Light tried to think of an answer that wouldn't make him look like a suspect, but Ryuk had his back,

"If my brother's not gonna say it for the sake of being polite, I will. That video _sucked_ ! I know I'm not the brightest person here, but _I_ probably could make something better than this." Light stood up,

"My brother is correct about the quality, but what I got out of it, added onto what we saw of the Trait and the MO, I think this is a second Kira. Kira would have no need to prove himself and doesn't kill innocents."

"That's exactly what I was thinking, Light. I've actually taken to calling this newcomer Muerte. We first have to stop him. He obviously sympathizes with Kira and is not very bright. I think he'll even obey the real Kira. So if we make a fake message from the real Kira, there is a good chance that we can get him to listen to us. Light, I would like you to play the part of the real Kira."

"M-Me?"

"Yes. With your genius, you should be able to do it. At any rate, we don't have any time to waste. Could you script a message from Kira to air on tonight's news?"

_Damn him! He planned from the beginning to bring me here to play this role._

Ryuk was laughing, and Light sent him a dirty look.

OoOoO

"Ryuzaki, is this all right? I think I've portrayed Kira convincingly." Light handed Ryuzaki the script and glared at Ryuk once again.

"You know, Light, you could be a writer. You're good at getting in character."

"I think Ryuk is right." Ryuzaki said, "This is very good, though if we don't omit the part which says, 'You're free to kill L,' then I'm going to end up with a bunch of people at least suspecting my Trait." Light raised an eyebrow,

"Not dead?"

"No, and that is going to anger the second Kira beyond belief. Part of me wants to let it happen just to see the reaction, but secrecy is preferred." 

"Sorry, I was just getting into character. I thought that Kira would demand that you be killed. You can change that to whatever you like."

OoOoO

"I am Kira."

Misa squealed as the broadcast came on, "I did it! Kira responded!"

"The real Kira. The Kira, who was shown on Sakura TV, is a pretender, a fake. I'm lenient to the impostor only because I know he was trying to help me. But killing the innocent is against my beliefs. If the impostor truly sympathizes with me and wants to help my cause, I ask that he refrain from killing aimlessly, and accept my basic principles. If you do not listen, Muerte, you have crossed the line between vigilante and villain, and I will have to treat you as I do any other criminal."

Rem sighed, looking to her little sister, "I told you this was a bad idea."

"Are you kidding? This is great! All right! The video, the video!"

"What are you planning to do?" Rem asked worriedly, "I'm pretty sure Kira does not want your help."

"I'm going to reply to him, of course. And he'll want my help once he knows I have the eyes."

OoOoO

The task force was enjoying dinner when Watari called in, "Ryuzaki! It's a reply from Muerte. It's here! I will bring the entire envelope there, but I shall play a copy on the computer." Ryuzaki played the video, and the task force watched,

"Kira, thank you for your reply. I will follow orders and do as you say."

"Wow! We did it." Matsuda cheered, but Light was not so thrilled.

_"l will do as you say," huh? He's useless to me, and I don't want someone like this working with me. I have the eyes in the form of Ryuk and enough apples, and I'm smart enough on my own, I don't need anybody else! And if he really knows Kira's feelings, he would force L to appear on TV and at least try to kill him._

_Actually, that doesn't matter, this stranger has already outlived his usefulness when L let slip that he's_ immune _to Obliteration. This means L's likely got a duel-trait like me, and one of those powers is Obliteration. The second Trait is the one to scare Ryuk. O-Or the worse option that he's... Oh, no...that's the truth here..._

L turned to look at him, noticing the look on his face, and he nodded with a small smile. It was unclear if he could read Light's mind or his expression, but Light found himself feeling like he was about to faint. How was that even possible?! He turned to Ryuk, who whispered in his ear,

"So you finally figured it out? L is the most powerful Trait user on Earth." 

"I want to meet you." Muerte continued as Light was trying to figure out how L could have made himself so powerful, but Muerte's stupidity quickly snapped him out of his panicked state, "I don't think you have the eyes, but I won't try to kill you. Please don't worry." 

"Is he stupid?!" Ryuk shouted, "He talked about the Shinigami eyes on a tape the whole world will see? Now the entire world will know that Kira has the Shinigami Trait, which would really screw Kira over, especially if the task force didn't know that already. And this person obviously knows someone else with the same Trait who he made the eye deal with." 

"That is actually beneficial insight, Ryuuku. I'm glad I brought you in on the investigation too."

"Please tell me how I can meet you without the police finding out. When we meet, we can confirm our identities. I don't know how, respond, and tell me."

_He's no good! I have to do something fast about this guy!_

"There is no way that the real Kira would go through the trouble of getting L to appear on TV, only to stop trying to kill him." Aizawa said, "This is without question a second Kira." 

"Then maybe Kira and Muerte already have established a connection," Matsuda said, but Ryuzaki shook his head,

"If the two Kiras were connected, I don't think that he would stop trying to kill me. Muerte is acting independently of Kira. He wants to meet the real Kira and is working out of interest in Kira. Right now, Muerte has received a message from Kira and is satisfied. He thinks that he's got Kira's attention. This reply will air today on Sakura TV's six o'clock news. Of course, Kira should be watching the exchange between our made-up Kira and Muerte. However, he may want Muerte to come in contact with the police and get killed, deciding to let the police handle this one. For the time being, I am okay with this, preferring to take out the actual villain instead of the vigilante. So Kira can take a breather for a little bit. But there is a chance that this time, the real Kira will feel pressured to respond."

"And if he doesn't?" Soichiro asked, and Ryuzaki ate some candy,

"Yes, I thought of what we could do with the Second Kira in that case, but if he reveals more information that Kira doesn't want the police to know, and makes Kira more nervous and furious, to pressure Kira into meeting him. It would be more interesting if Kira gets scared and sends a reply to avoid that. But in a world with superpowers, Kira is likely to already know it's too late and may not respond at all. In the meantime, let's focus on gathering all the information we can from the Second Kira's package."

Ryuk raised a hand, "Actually, I know I'm not the brightest, but I have an idea on how to catch Muerte. Send a reply, with time and meeting place, and way to identify each other. Maybe have myself or Light play the role since we have the Shinigami Trait, and if this person made the eye deal, it would be evident if we were lying."

Ryuzaki grinned, "So you think one of you should act as Kira. That's actually a good idea. After all, I am 75% sure Muerte worships Kira, so having Kira turn out to be Light Firebringer would be a dream come true. And if it was Ryuk, that would make logical sense, being the twin living in your brother's shadow." Light nodded,

"When you put it that way, Ryuk makes more sense. After all, why would I possibly want to be a vigilante?" Soichiro turned to his two sons,

"Light, Ryuuku, I don't want you doing this." Ryuk gave a nonchalant hand gesture,

"Don't worry. It's only an act to capture Muerte. What I'm worried about is that ally of his." Light nodded,

"Yeah, especially because this person will also have the eyes and could easily kill us as revenge."

"I've already thought of that, I have something that should nullify the Shinigami Trait, where you will have a non-lethal heart attack in that case. I'll have Watari bring two." He got up, "It's late, you all should probably get home. We will continue in the morning, and I will think of a time, place, and item to use to confirm identities." 

_Of course,_ Light thought, _Just in case Ryuk and I are Kira, he's going to plan all of this himself, so I can't try anything ahead of time. Crap, I should probably stop thinking like this in his presence, because I don't know if he's come in contact with a mind reader or not_.

He clenched his fist as he left with his brother and father. _What kind of a person are you, Fake Kira?_

...

L watched Light's thought process, wishing he had come in contact with a mind reader. He had seen the moment Light realized what L's Trait was—his facial expression gave him away—and when Ryuk confirmed it. Honestly, he was okay with Light knowing, because that had been a potential hazard in seeing Light face to face to begin with.

Light's reaction had been as humorous as imagined. And it didn't confirm whether Light was Kira, because, with L's Trait, anyone would be surprised...

L Lawliet. Trait — Trait Absorption. L possesses an incredibly unique Trait. When he comes into contact with another individual, he 'Copies' their Trait for a day. He has a 0.001% chance for this Trait to become a permanent part of his biology. However, after copying the Trait of someone with the same Trait as him and that sticking, he has guaranteed all Traits he comes into contact with are permanently part of him, and the more often he copies them, the stronger they get. He has obtained hundreds of Traits this way.

This Trait is powerful but has several downsides, including the fact that L gains the weaknesses of any Trait that he has absorbed. However, he does not gain any of the physical changes of these Traits. He suffers a significant drawback: if he doesn't have something to use as a siphon for his power, his mind will overload and shatter.


	12. Chapter 12

Light walked into the clearing, a bright red apple in hand, and a small flame in the other so he could see in front of him. L's plan was to meet in this part of the woods where nobody would typically find them, with a bright red apple—which had been Ryuk's idea.

"Sorry, Light-o," Ryuk had said an hour ago, "I can't act. It's gonna have to be you." But he wasn't getting out of this that easily, and both brothers were wearing an earpiece so Ryuk could tell him the identity of Muerte when he appeared. Ryuk also had a button to press if Light used their safe word if he was in way over his head, and the second Kira ended up wanting him for sex. Any mention of Light's sexuality was the code, it didn't matter straight or gay because this was just code.

It wasn't long before he saw a girl also holding a bright red apple. She stared at him for a moment before her eyes widened and she ran over, wrapping her arms around his neck in glee. _Huh?! Damnit!_ He heard Ryuk in the earpiece,

"Her name is Misa Amane, she's a fashion model, her Trait is Obliteration." Light silently thanked his twin and hated every second of contact with this girl. And it was in the moment that Light realized there might be some pressing need for their "get me out of here" safe word.

Already, Light was seriously considering just running for his life as she started whispering his name in his ear.

"Firebringer, this is a dream come true!"

He wished he had something he could use to keep the clingy blonde at bay—perhaps his fire. He did just that, both as an intimidation tactic to highlight his crimson eyes and to get her off him.

"Okay, your stupidity got my attention, Misa Amane, and it's only a matter of time before the police find you. What do you want?" He asked, and Misa recoiled a little.

"Don't worry," Misa assured him, "Those aren't my fingerprints on the tapes." She went on to explain how she had thrown her friend under the bus and was willing to kill said friend if needed, which made Light feel sick.

"Let's not." He said, regarding Misa warily, and flames at his command, he menacingly glared at her. "What do you want?" 

Misa giggled, bowing her head. "Please make me your girlfriend!"

"No." Light said faster than he had ever rejected someone before. He knew he was walking a fine line, and she might go into "if I can't have you" mode, but he had the amulet from L that would make any Trait used against him hurt like a bitch but not _kill_ him. And he wasn't going to humor this annoying girl for even a second. If she had even a shred of usefulness for him, then he would roll with it, but he was here to capture her.

" _WHAT?!_ " Misa shrieked at the top of her lungs. A man? Turning her down? Inconceivable! 

"I'm afraid what you're asking is impossible for several reasons."

"Are you already in a relationship?! She can't be prettier than me! I can do it better for you, Light! Who is she? I'll kill that bitch!" 

"We're just not compatible." Light said softly because he didn't want to be too much of an asshole unless she didn't respect this. If she was going to make him her property like a sexual predator, he was growing tempted to kill her himself—he had been given the okay from L to do that if she tried to attack him. Then again, she was already claiming him as her own by saying she would kill any partner he had. He was glad he had no interest in dating right now.

Misa tilted her head sideways, confusion evident by the vacant look on her face. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm gay, Misa. And if you really killed innocent people to try getting in my pants and not actually to help me, I'm afraid that's even more reason not to work with you." He had used the safe word, and the police would be here in minutes. He had been told to wait as long as he could and get as much information out of her as possible, but it was clear he already had everything that could be found from Misa, and this was a situation where the safe word was needed. Even if L wondered if there was something Light was keeping hidden, the police would see for themselves that there was nothing of use here.

Misa continued to shriek as she made a big show of throwing herself at his feet. " _Nooooo!_ You're too pretty to be gay! Don't you understand? We're perfect!" 

Light closed his eyes against the oncoming headache. He really hoped that stupidity of this magnitude didn't pass like a cold.

"But… but I have the Shinigami eyes!" Misa persuaded. "If you make me your girlfriend, I can easily kill L for you!" 

Light let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "You don't understand. I don't want L dead." Not entirely true, but Light actually would _much rather_ win L over somehow instead of killing him. Even if he did want L dead, he was starting to doubt that was even possible.

"But… isn't L the biggest threat to Kira's rule?" Misa made a strangled noise. This had all gone wrong. Light shrugged,

"As I have said before, I don't kill innocents. Unless L has done something monstrous enough to kill him for, he's safe."

"But Lind L. Tailor!"

"I knew he was a criminal. I know some people." Again, not true, but in hindsight, he did regret letting his temper take control of him. Even if that did turn out to be a criminal, it could just have easily been an innocent man. Kira was a vigilante, not a villain, and in a world with superpowers, that line was much easier defined. Not that Misa realized that, she clearly saw Kira as a villain if this was what she thought he wanted, and he made a mental note to change his behaviors to not like people think that.

" _But why?!_ " She wailed in that voice that sounded like she had swallowed a helium balloon, and it was permanently lodged somewhere in her chest. Light winced, that headache was assured now. "I can help you!"

Light froze where he stood, his bangs falling into his face. For a moment, Misa thought he wasn't going to answer her, but then Kira, her God, spoke in a soft, sad voice, "Misa, I already have the eyes… you have crossed the line between vigilante and villain." 

Instead of getting discouraged like he had hoped, Misa only perked up even more. "You can help me find my way again!" 

"No, Misa. I—" 

"We'll do it together! The power of love prevails!" The blonde decreed while giving him a two-fingered hand gesture right out of _Sailor Moon_. 

"Misa, I already told you I can't be your boyfriend." 

"Aw… that's okay, Light, I understand. You can just pretend for now. I'm sure you'll fall in love with me eventually!" 

"Did you not hear me? I'm gay. What part of _gay_ do you not understand? I am not interested in you. I will _never_ be interested in you," Light ground out past clenched teeth. Even if he wasn't gay, regardless of what Ryuk would tell someone, he was feeling genuinely insulted that Misa thought what she was hearing was the truth and just didn't care.

"No, no, no. Don't you see it? With the power of true love, I can cure you!" 

"Misa…" Okay, now she was refusing to accept homosexuality? Maybe it was just because she was in love with him, but he lost all the regret he had had for helping the police bring her in.

"I read about it… in a book!" 

"Misa…" 

"It was a book with over a hundred pages!" Misa crowed triumphantly. 

"Misa, I don't _want_ a cure. I'm perfectly happy with who I am. Furthermore, I'm not attracted to you. Even if I was straight, I still wouldn't be attracted to you. Nothing personal, you're just not my type." 

Misa's bawling came to an abrupt stop. She smiled dangerously. "You know, you're making my sister angry. She loves me, you know, and she says that if you don't be my boyfriend, she'll kill you." 

_Oh no. The Shinigami she knows is her sister?! I've made an enemy by not being Misa's girlfriend, and now I'm gonna turn her in._

"Listen. That's not how it works! You can't just threaten me and expect me to spontaneously change my genetics and brain chemistry! Be reasonable!" Light then turned to the girl who was currently engaged in histrionic weeping upon the grass, and he bent down beside her, gripping her shoulders, "Misa, listen to me! You can't be my girlfriend. You can't introduce yourself as my girlfriend. If you go around introducing yourself as my girlfriend, you'll be arrested immediately! Please! For your own safety, we can't have anything further to do with each other! Promise me." 

Misa sighed and pouted prettily as she wiped away crocodile tears. "I promise."

Five Minutes Later

The task force, all wearing tinted helmets, arrived, and Misa waved, "Hi everyone, I'm Misa Amane—Light's girlfriend! We're just enjoying some lover time!" 

It took all of Light's willpower to avoid banging his head against the tree. 

Even if Light couldn't see his face, Light knew L was grinning evilly, and Light was surprised he came in person. "Book 'em, Mogi." Misa's hands turned blood red, but after forty seconds, Ryuzaki laughed, "That's not going to work on me." He teleported behind Misa in a puff of black smoke, pinning her with his foot, his silver eyes shining with the stars above them, "You're not the first to try." Misa managed to maneuver herself and momentarily kick off L's face protection, but L activated Ukita's high speed he had copied to retrieve it.

"Kira! His name is L Law—"

Cops in riot gear came popping out from where they had been hiding behind the leafy branches—Light was impressed despite himself. He'd have to ask L later how he pulled that off. Mercifully Mogi got to do what Light wished he could have done half an hour ago—he gagged the shrieking blonde. He did wish he hadn't cut Misa off before she finished saying L's name. L Law? No wonder Ryuk had said there would be no lucky guesses with L's name if L was actually his name!

"Mogi, you're my hero," Light said in an excellent imitation of Misa's love-sick sighs as Mogi dragged Misa away. This earned askance glances from the task force, and a muffled confused sound from the gagged Misa.

Light sighed and obediently held out his wrists, feeling the harsh bite of steel. "L… do be careful, I think she's kind of crazy." This was all to sell the story, so Misa's sister wouldn't instantly consider him a fake and attempt to kill him.

But when he felt the pain in his chest and heard Ryuk screaming through the earpiece that there was someone in the tree behind him, Light knew he was in trouble. Damn, he had been under the impression these heart attacks didn't hurt too badly. Maybe it was because the amulet was making sure this would be non-lethal.

"Light!" He heard Ryuzaki—L—shout, "Stay with us, come on!" He sounded panicked, maybe because even though the Trait wouldn't kill him, any other side effect could.

_Shit, this is a problem._

That was the last thing Light thought before everything went black.


	13. Chapter 13

"The one who attacked Light is most likely Rem Amane, Misa's older sister, but the issue is she has an alibi."

L nodded, sitting bedside next to Light, who had fallen comatose due to lack of oxygen to his brain. The doctor didn't know how much damage was done, just that he was very lucky to be alive.

Soichiro had cursed L to hell for risking the life of his son, but Ryuk reminded his father that Light had chosen to do this, only to get yelled at that Ryuk himself had backed down. There was an unspoken tension that it was implied Soichiro would have rathered it be Ryuk over Light, but L was going to give the chief the benefit of the doubt because those words hadn't been said.

"I'll have to look more into her. She falls more under the category of a person of interest regardless of her alibi. She may attack to save her sister from execution." Once again, he listened to the recording Ryuk had made. L sighed. This wasn't even worth anything. They lost a valuable ally for this junk? All Misa wanted was to get in Kira's pants by any means. 

Matsuda watched him replay the recording using Broadband, "So that's why you shook our hands, you copied our Traits." It hadn't taken long after L exploded their hotel room, proved immune to Obliteration, teleported, and then sprouted wings to fly Light to the hospital for them to realize he had the copying Trait. One doesn't just have four Traits naturally.

"Yes. And I will have you know, Matsuda, this is the first time I've copied Broadband, it's a useful power."

"What's the point of even having the task force if you've got all of our Traits?" Aizawa asked, and L shushed him,

"Not so loud, the last thing I want is other Trait Doctors wanting a look at me and unintentionally doing something unfortunate. But to answer your question, it's mostly because I need extra eyes and ears." He continued to play with Broadband on the laptop, "You know, Matsuda, your power works remarkably well if you have an unlimited data plan, and you can also download information directly from a computer alongside finding websites in your mind."

"How do you know that?"

"I have spent many hours playing with your Trait." Soichiro nodded,

"That's why you knew Light and Ryuuku have the Shinigami Trait and not flight."

"Yes. It was quite amusing to see Ryuk's expression when he saw what my Trait is. Out of curiosity, what did you see?" Ryuk shrugged,

"It was switching so fast I couldn't follow. With Light, the two Traits change every couple seconds, but with you, I saw copying, then copying again, and then it went insanely fast so I couldn't follow. What was the Duel-Trait you were born with?" See, those with a copying Trait were Duel-Wielders by default because they copy their mother's Trait while in the womb.

"Trait Absorbtion twice, that's why I can keep all Traits I come in contact with. I got lucky." Watari came in,

"As you can see, Ryuzaki is quite extraordinary. We trust you to keep the secret." Nods from everyone. Ryuk raised a hand, and L rolled his eyes,

"Ryuk, you aren't in school, you can just ask?"

"So... Misa already said most of your name. Are you going to tell us the rest of it, or do I have to keep that to myself? I have so many nicknames I want to call you."

"Telling everyone my name will increase your chances of being Kira by 5%." L replied as though that answered the question, then he looked down at Light, "Light-Kun is more or less in the clear. He has been in a coma for three days, and the killings have continued. Watari, have you gotten anything new from Ms. Amane?"

"Yes. Amane worships Kira because he punished the burglar who killed her parents. Her sister told her this was a terrible idea, and now she wishes she had listened."

"Well, she didn't," Soichiro seethed, "And my son paid the price."

L put a finger under his chin, "It is interesting, how she worships Kira but took the path of a villain. Maybe she really is that stupid and didn't recognize the line, because she was also willing to throw her friend under the bus and even kill her friend."

"I guess that's what lust does to someone," Matsuda offered, then he chuckled, "What would have happened if Kira is some creepy forty-year-old pervert? Or a chick?"

"Seeing as we still don't know the real Kira's identity, both of those are a distinct possibility." L turned to the chief, "Even if Light has been cleared, I am still going to keep him by my side 24/7 when he wakes up, to track his recovery." In truth, he was still suspicious of Light. He knew there was a chance Ryuk was killing in his brother's place because a drawback with his Trait was he didn't have the two brothers' Tells since the first Shinigami Trait he copied was that of Beyond Birthday years ago, meaning he had the Tell of his eyes glowing red when he used it. 

He hadn't been able to copy the eyes from Beyond, but having been able to latch onto Ryuk's power, he had the eyes now without giving up his lifespan. It wasn't all too helpful because it wasn't strong right now. Doing it this way meant he needed to build up his power. He only saw lifespans at the moment, which was a bunch of obscure numbers he didn't care about. He would have to ask Ryuk how to calculate that later.

Watari snapped L out of his thoughts, "Ryuzaki, Amane's execution is scheduled for tomorrow."

"Good. The sooner we do this, the better. Seeing as Kira didn't respond to any of Amane's messages, I don't think we have to worry about him—or her, that's proven to be a possibility—stopping the execution, but the sister may attempt. We don't know how powerful Rem's Trait is in comparison to Light or Ryuk, but I am going to assume she is closer in power to a combination of both—can control victims before death, and has the eyes."

"Wait, I can do that?" Ryuk asked, and L shrugged,

"I don't know, but Light can."

"Why do you know that?" Mogi asked worriedly, and L smiled,

"I tested it on a criminal minutes before their execution. All I did was make him walk in a circle, nothing too extreme, but it did teach me some valuable things." 

L turned back at Light, who looked so peaceful, no pain evident on his face. If he didn't know better, didn't hear the heart monitor, or see the oxygen mask, he would think Light was merely sleeping. The doctors said he was rapidly recovering and should come out of the coma in a couple days.

He remembered what had happened three days ago, and he sent a shiver down his spine.

_Light let out a strangled scream and fell to his knees. Without thinking, L dove to catch him, and Light was clutching his chest before passing out completely. Out of the corner of his eyes, L saw someone fly away on white wings, but he didn't care right now as some of his men chased after the stranger._

_"Light!" He smacked Light's cheek a couple times, trying to rouse him. Light's eyes were wide and pained, "Stay with us, come on!" A small part of his brain that remembered he was a detective told him he sounded a little too desperate and feral, but he didn't care. He activated the Shinigami Trait, and his own wings tore out of his back. They were silver with traces of blue at the tips of each feather._

_"Ryuzaki?!" Soichiro called, as L held Light tightly and launched into the night sky, flying faster than he had ever dared. He had only used wings once before, so he stumbled, and it took him a moment to get the hang of it, but adrenaline helped with that as he ran into the hospital, screaming at any healer in the area that Light needed help. When the receptionist said for him to wait for even a second and tell her the problem, he mind-controlled her to not make him wait or explain, get paramedics out here now._

_It was an abuse of power, he knew, and it was illegal to force people to your will, but there would be no proof, and it wasn't like he cared when he had an ally...dare he say, friend, dying in his arms._

He had lost control of himself that day. But seeing Light like that had made something snap inside him, maybe because he was in danger of losing a man he was in charge of, or he didn't want his suspect to die before being proven either innocent or guilty. Deep down, he knew that was utter BS, there was something else he couldn't pinpoint. 

He had never felt like this for anyone else ever, so he had no idea what he was experiencing. What he did know was he didn't want Light to die.

Then he remembered. _L, hey, you're the most powerful Trait user ever, you've got hundreds of Traits, you can heal Light._

But he hesitated before doing so. Sure, he could heal, but when had he ever had a chance to practice with it? The occasional bruise if he tripped, that was when. Not a coma—that begged the question of if he could heal himself if he fell comatose, but he decided that wasn't worth testing. And when it comes to the brain, he could really mess Light up.

Maybe it didn't hurt to help a little. Besides, L doubted with how little practice he had that he was even physically capable of miracle-working. No matter how strong the Trait he copied was, he still needed to practice, or he would have no idea what he was doing.

He placed a hand on Light's forehead, his hand emitting a soft golden glow that wouldn't be noticed by anyone who didn't know what they were looking for. 

Some of the color returned to Light's face, but as expected, he didn't wake up. 

Ryuk seemed to have noticed what L was doing, and when he didn't work, he got up, biting his lip, and left the room. L supposed it was hard for Ryuk to see his twin like this. They were brothers, very rarely apart—and they were lucky, siblings didn't always get along the way these two did, especially when one was famous and the other wasn't—so of course, Ryuk would be upset.

...

Ryuk needed a moment to himself, not seeing his brother in this condition. He went flying for a bit when he collided with the very prime suspect for his current emotional state.

He cursed, knowing he had recognized the name Amane from somewhere. Damn, why did that impressively stupid girl have to be Rem's sister?

"Hey, Rem..." he said awkwardly, and Rem glared, about to fly down to the hospital, but he grabbed her wrist firmly, "Don't. You're wasting your time." 

"This is all his fault!" So Rem _was_ the culprit of Light being in the hospital right now...

"His fault? How is it his fault that your sister is an _idiot_? You know, I may have considered helping her if she wasn't using you to threaten my brother into having sex with her. Or did you not hear that part? Were you even there? You do have an alibi."

The lavender-haired girl simply snarled, her hands flashing to merely the bones, but Ryuk tackled her down a couple hundred meters to break the concentration that she obviously had on Light.

"A shapeshifter owed me a favor," Rem explained, "And I was a distance back in the trees, she said she wanted some alone time with him. If I had been closer, I could have stopped this! Your brother played with Misa's feelings, and now she is going to be hanged with that collar around her neck!"

Ryuk grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, "Rem, she was killing innocent people and threatening to hurt Light to get what she wanted. Don't you understand it was self-defense?" He turned away and let out a soft growl of despair. "You ruined everything! If you and Misa hadn't come along…"Ryuk smirked, letting his Tell be known as he focused on Misa and turned back to Rem, "Perhaps I should kill your precious sibling… What do you think of that?"

"What?!" Rem nearly shrieked. "You wouldn't dare… "

"Hey, you tried to kill mine. It seems only fair." 

"NO! _Please!_ She's done nothing to you!"

"Neither had Light done anything to you or Misa that wasn't justly deserved, but you still tried to kill him. If it weren't for Lawli, he would be dead, and even then, we still aren't sure." 

"Please… you can't!" Rem pleaded, "If you harm her, I will torment you and your brother forever!"

"Hmmm…" Ryuk knew he was about to play a dangerous game, but he had learned a few things from his brother, and this was bound to be interesting, "Well, I suppose _I_ could spare Misa, but that doesn't change the fact she is to be hanged at an unknown time tomorrow. It doesn't matter to me really if she lives or not, but I might be able to _persuade_ some people to delay her execution… given a few conditions…" 

Rem growled but glanced away, defeated. She could not _—would not—_ gamble with Misa's life. "What are your terms?"

OoOoO

L stayed with Light all through the night—to protect him, he told the task force, because he was obviously the best out of all of them if a fight broke out.

At some point around, maybe three in the morning, he went outside to one of the vending machines and used some electricity to get food and drink out without paying. Now he had plenty of candy.

When he came back, he gasped to be staring into a pair of crimson eyes.

"Light!" He discarded the candy on the chair and placed his hands on Light's temples, having got the okay from the doctor that this would not have any negative effect on Light. He healed Light now so he wouldn't have to wait however long it was for Light to fully come back to himself.

Light blinked a few times and said three words that make L's blood run cold:

"Who are you?"


	14. Chapter 14

"So you're saying he doesn't remember _anything_ from the last _year_?" Sachiko asked in horror. The doctor nodded,

"I'm afraid so. It was caused by transient cerebral anoxia. However, the damage isn't too severe, so he should hopefully regain his memories in the next few weeks."

L was leaning against the wall, and making eye contact with a very confused Light, who sent him an apologetic look,

"Sorry... I assume I met you in the last year?"

"Yes. I'm..." L hesitated, knowing it wouldn't do him any favors if he lied about his name right now when Ryuk or anyone on the task force—damn Misa—could disprove, "L."

"L? Is that short for something? Or..." his eyes widened as the doctor left to get something, "L?! Like the detective!"

"Yes. Everyone on the task force, yourself included, calls me Ryuzaki, but that isn't my real name. Your brother, with his Shinigami eyes, knows my name, but I doubt he will tell you."

_If he ever was Kira, he certainly won't be now. Not only did Kira appear 5 months and 27 days ago, meaning we still would have six months before Light returned to the vigilante mindset, now he will be under constant surveillance to make sure that doesn't happen._

_However, if Light regains his memory, he could easily pretend he hasn't. If he lies about regaining what he's lost, that will prove he is hiding something. There is no denying the killings have continued. In contrast, he has been comatose. But that could easily be Ryuuku, Misa's sister, or another Shinigami Trait user deciding to get a piece of the action. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell, meaning we have to research._

For now, they had to catch Light up on what he had lost.

Light was pale and swaying dangerously, looking at both his worried parents with a horrified expression, "Y-Y-You know?!" 

_Odd. Light was much more composed before. However, he also probably had time to mentally prepare himself last time._ L watched as both parents tried to assure their panicking son, who was crying and promising he only used the wings and to please not consider him a monster. 

Having seen and heard Soichiro's initial reaction, with immediately telling his sons that the power to kill was evil and they were cursed, L knew Light's fear here was not unfounded. He remembered having seen the look on Light and Ryuk's faces change then, looking hurt, and L had laid awake in bed, wondering if revealing their secret had been the right thing to do. If they were Kira, it had been, but if they weren't like what seemed to be the case...

Was this... guilt? If so, he hated it. 

Still, it was hard to see Light so hysterical. Poor boy just came out of a coma a couple hours ago, sat next to a supposed stranger until the doctor arrived, and then learned that his biggest secret had been revealed at some point, and he wasn't aware of it. For the sake of Light's mental health, L decided to leave out the fact that Light had been the prime Kira suspect for months, and only add that Light's deductive skills were helpful, as were Ryuk's eyes and his own strengths when united in thought with his twin.

Speaking of which, where was Ryuk?

"Chief, where is Ryuuku? Shouldn't he know his brother is awake?" Both parents turned, and Sachiko was the one to answer,

"He said he's going to spend the night at a friend's and will meet you at task force headquarters around noon." She glared at her husband, "The boys are part of the investigation, why didn't you tell me?! This wouldn't have happened if—"

"Light and Ryuuku chose to join," L defended, "And I was the one to make them swear to secrecy." Light was shaking his head,

"What investigation?"

L sighed, explaining the Kira investigation. This was all a lot for Light to wrap his head around, but L also knew Light wasn't going to let himself rest and recover until he had some answers.

"So you're L, and I'm your coworker-suspect-friend?" Light asked worriedly, and L shrugged,

"Seeing as the killings have continued while you were comatose, consider yourself simply coworker-friend unless evidence comes up to suggest you were Kira at some point." 

"Vigilantism is illegal," Light said quietly, "I would never kill someone on purpose." L noticed that choice of words, and Light had to know he had the power of death one way or another. That meant Light had killed someone on accident at some point. Seeing what Light was going through daily with the fangirls, he didn't doubt it had been a fangirl who took it a step too far. But he wasn't going to pick at that wound unless needed.

...

Light had been beyond confused when he woke up, and he was still puzzled now. More than anything, he was terrified. How had his real Trait been revealed, and why? The only thing his overactive brain could think of was someone had a Trait related to discovering Traits and reported to L.

And L... he had heard of L a couple times and never thought much of it. He certainly hadn't considered a secretive detective would be the most stunning creature on Earth and seriously making him wonder if Ryuk had been right all along about his sexuality. And he had never expected they would be friends. 

_Come on, brain, remember him!_ He tried to force himself to remember and grew frustrated when he couldn't. Damnit, he wanted to remember all these things he had missed, and he didn't care that Trait-based healing was the only reason he was able to feel as though he woke up from a nap instead of a coma.

L brushed some of his messy blue-highlighted hair out of his face, and he sat down next to Light, "I'm glad you're awake. You gave us a real scare."

"What happened?"

"A second Kira appeared, this time a villain instead of a vigilante. She was extremely stupid, though, so you publically announced a meeting with her while helping the police and assisting in bringing her to justice. However, her sister or someone with the Shinigami Trait got revenge and tried to kill you with a heart attack. I had given you an amulet to make sure any attack wouldn't be lethal with no hope, but you still lost enough oxygen to your brain to fall comatose for a few days. If you want, I have the audio of that night." Light nodded,

"I want to hear it. Maybe I'll remember something." L nodded, pulling out his laptop and playing the audio and Light's brow furrowed,

"Um..."

"I know," was all L said, "It's so stupid my mind still hasn't completely wrapped around it." Light laughed and noticed a little color blossom on L's ivory skin, and he literally started glowing for a second, as in a nightlight, his skin was momentarily iridescent.

"Nightlight? That's your Trait?" Nightlight was a Trait where someone could glow on instinct, but it mainly happened when the wielder was happy. L looked to make sure nobody was around, and thankfully Light's parents had left them to talk,

"I've got hundreds of Traits. Copying, but I managed to keep them all in my DNA. But it's a secret. Nobody outside the task force can know. But I sometimes glow at random moments. Oh, and you and I are going to be together 24/7, to make sure nobody tries to attack you either because you're a celebrity or to avenge Ms. Amane."

Usually, Light would be annoyed, but seeing as it was like a magnet was attracting him to this fascinating being that was L, he wasn't going to complain.

"Alright. As long as I get privacy in the bathroom." He noticed a moment's hesitation on L's face, but he wondered if he imagined it with how quick the response was,

"Deal as long as you don't take a half-hour in the shower."

"Deal." They shook hands.

OoOoO

"Ryuk, are you sure this is going to work?" Rem asked as she walked into their hotel room she had paid for, tossing him a large basket of apples and various apple treats, "I talked Higuchi into doing this—the first disgusting, rich, greedy asshole with the Shinigami Trait I could find. But why did you need that to save Misa?"

"If I mess up the execution and Kira is still out there," Ryuk was looking on the computer for a criminal with a mind-controlling Trait, "L uses Death Row Inmates as resources, their freedom in exchange for compliance. If I can use this Kira, who is in a high-ranking business, as the key to model and actress Misa Amane being needed, I might be able to get her fully pardoned alongside not dead."

"And all I need to do to repay you for helping is make sure Misa never bothers Light again?"

"Yes. You and I will pretend to be in a secret relationship, which I mean we technically are—"

"One date does not count as a relationship."

"I was referring to our partner-in-crime relationship, but okay." He looked through a little notebook, and Rem frowned as she read over the countless plans inside it,

"Wow. You came up with all this?"

"Oh god no, this is all of Light's various plans of what to do in the event he's the prime suspect. I'm just working it to save them both."

"Wait, Light is actually Kira, and that wasn't an act?!"

"Yes, I thought you figured that out already. Light is actually Kira, and everything he said to Misa is true. But because Misa crossed the line between vigilante and villain, he was willing to assist L as an actor. Between you and me, Light is gay and totally has the hots for L."

Rem sighed, "Let me guess, Light mentioned he's gay, and Misa refused to accept that in favor of getting what she wants?"

"The fact you can say that without any surprise in your tone worries me," Ryuk said as he took a chunk out of an apple, "Besides, Light's in denial about being gay. It was actually his way of letting me know he was afraid of being raped, and I needed to call the police for assistance. And yes, she also threatened that you would kill Light if he didn't fuck her."

Rem ran her hands through her hair, "I should have put my foot down on this. I didn't think she was that delusional."

"In her defense," Ryuk offered, "She's never been rejected by a guy before. That's the problem with going after gay guys who are also celebrities." He rolled his eyes, "It's funny, isn't it? Our celebrity little siblings are off being insane, and we, the older siblings who live in shadow, have to clean up their mess." Ryuk was ten whole minutes older than Light, and he would never forget it. 

Rem chuckled, "It is amusing to think of it that way." She smiled, "Thank you, Ryuk, even though I tried to kill Light, you're still helping me."

"Don't let word get around that I'm being nice—which I'm only doing because of these lovely apples you brought me. But even if Misa's pardoned, she's still going in the loony bin, you realize that, right?"

Rem nodded, "As long as she gets the help she needs, is not going to be killed, and I can still visit her, I can agree. But do I really have to live with Higuchi and use having Misa as a wife as a bribe?"

"Don't worry, I'll kill Higuchi myself before you have to be honest with that promise." He found the perfect criminal to control and hoped he would be able to do this. He focused his all on the man, managing to do it. It wasn't long before he was using the mind-control villain to command some guards at the execution center to sabotage enough things to make it impossible for Misa to be hanged.

Ryuk didn't realize he had collapsed from the pain in his head until he woke up in Rem's arms, with her pretty face looking down at him worriedly, "Did it work?"

"I'm pretty sure. It's at least moved the execution to tomorrow, so I can talk to L about using Misa as a resource. And seeing that she threatened Light, they would see no reason for me to want her to live, which would make it look tactical."

"Thank you, Ryuk." Rem helped him up, "You should probably get going before your parents' worry. You've been unconscious for hours, it's almost noon."

"Crap!" Ryuk grabbed his backpack after stuffing all the apples in his bag and grabbing one for the road. He waved to her from where he saw her in the window and flew away.

_Man, Light's never going to let me live it down if it finds out I'm working with a former Date._


	15. Chapter 15

"Light has amnesia?!" Ryuk asked, his voice going up a couple octaves. L nodded,

"Yes, he has forgotten everything from the last year. Thanks to modern technology and our Traits, he will be out of the hospital tomorrow, and he and I will be together 24/7 until we catch Kira."

Ryuk raised a questioning eyebrow, "Are you sure you don't just like having him close to you?" He saw something shift in L's eyes and then noticed something else, "That amulet, you usually keep in under your shirt. Why is it out now?"

L tensed and looked down at the amulet, before tucking it under his shirt, "Must have forgotten to hide it."

Ryuk pulled one of the apples out of his bag, "I'm guessing it helps siphon your power, so your mind doesn't shatter from omnipotence?" It wasn't a question, and L seemed to know that, for his face betrayed nothing, even though the answer was clear.

If he wanted to kill L or at least incapacitate him beyond repair, all he had to do was destroy the amulet.

But that begged the question of if he should even bother. Light wasn't going to remember being Kira. This was a serious problem because most of Ryuk's plan relied on Light, knowing of his vigilante identity.

 _Dammit, Light! 246 backup plans and not one of them related to amnesia?! What to do... I guess I'm Kira now. No, I've got Higuchi to do that. Well, this could work. If Light never gets his memory back, and we capture Higuchi, Higuchi is Kira, and that is that. Bummer, that's not interesting at all unless I spend this time making both Light and Lawli realize their feelings for each other. I wonder what will happen if Light accepts his crush now but_ then _gets his memories back. It would be interesting._

"So, what friend were you staying with last night, Ryuuku?" His father asked, and Ryuk cursed the fact that since Light wasn't here, there was nobody for his father to focus on that wasn't his second son.

"Apples. I was alone in my room, stuffing my face with apples and stress eating. Don't judge me, I thought my brother was going to die." Soichiro sighed, and Ryuk knew his lie was believable, and his father wasn't happy about that fact. 

He knew he couldn't tell them about even knowing Rem, and if L was going to be keeping an eye on Light, he would bound to also keep watch on Ryuk. He needed some way to communicate with Rem without getting caught. And to save Misa. 

He still couldn't believe he was going to do that, and if she tried to take advantage of Light's amnesia, he would kill her himself and damn the consequences.

Judging by the look on L's face while he was talking on the phone, he was getting the call that everything had gone wrong with the execution.

L hung up, "It appears a mind-control villain thought it would be funny to use some guards to mess up everything. Amane's execution will have to be postponed." Ryuk noticed his father tense, and hid a smirk as he changed his voice to sound painfully reluctant,

"L... what if we use Misa? She's Muerte and wants to meet the first, so assuming she was right in those videos about Kira not having the eyes, Kira might see her as someone who would come to his advantage if she came to him. He might not reach out to her, but might let her in if she pulled half of the shit she did with Light." This was all Rem's plan, which he mixed with Light's backup plans to merge into one clusterfuck of a plot that could go wrong in so many ways, especially since he wasn't going to have any help from his brother here. If this wasn't exhilarating, Ryuk would not be cleaning up his twin's mess, and Light still owed him so many apples for this.

L bit his thumb, "That's not a half-bad idea. But there is still the issue she might use her Trait against us, or tell Kira everything."

"Use the collar on her indefinitely," they all turned and saw an enraged Soichiro. "If you really are going to let that girl near my son while he's vulnerable, she is going to have that collar on 24/7, and Ryuuku, I give you permission to kill her if she tries anything with Light or betrays us."

Matsuda's eyes widened, "Chief, those collars are only used for a week at most, the side effects are unknown, but according to the article I just looked up, scientists fear it could destroy the mind!" Soichiro turned,

"As much as I hate to say it, Ryuuku has a point with Amane being useful to bring Kira to justice, but the last thing we need is her obliterating us all except Ryuzaki."

"It wouldn't come down to that, because her Tell would give her away before she successfully killed one of us unless she made physical contact," L said, "But I actually agree with Ryuk and Mr. Yagami. And the collar might even make her more compliant. If she agrees to work with us, she will be sent to a mental institution regardless, but will be pardoned of her crimes—assuming she doesn't get killed by Kira, that is."

"Alright then," Ryuk sighed when he was actually trying not to laugh. Was this how Light felt when his plans worked?

...

L noticed the slight smugness in Ryuk's eyes, and once again L wished he could read minds, but assumed he was smug for having a plan both his father and L agreed with, but he couldn't shake the feeling there was something else.

Misa was going to be difficult to contain, but this way, they could also use Misa's life as leverage to prevent the sister from attacking.

Regardless, he was going to have the task force keep a careful eye on Ryuk—maybe even put Ryuk and Misa in a room together to see what happened. If Ryuk was Kira, that would certainly be interesting. Still, it didn't fit with who Ryuk seemed to be, which was a young man who lived for apples and being entertained but did genuinely care about his brother even if he wasn't going to admit it sentimentally.

L looked at his metaphorical deck. Himself, brilliant duel-Trait user Light, Light's surprisingly intelligent twin, a task force, and potentially the second Kira, who could obliterate people and reduce them to nothing. If he played his cards right, he might get Misa's sister as an ally. 

Right now, things were very much stacked in his favor, even without the Amane sisters guaranteed, and that was good, but he wasn't going to deny the fact he was still hoping for a challenge.

And if he wanted this to take longer so he could have more time to get to know Light, nobody had to know.


	16. Chapter 16

"So we're going to be together 24/7 because...?" Light looked around the new task force building, and he was exploring with L.

"Mostly to ensure you don't have a sudden and unexpected turn for the worst, or Amane's collar stops working, and she tries to obliterate you, this way you'll be protected." Light bit his lip, trying to hide a slight blush that was threatening to reveal itself,

"So, you're like my guardian angel?"

"I... guess?" L started glowing a little bit, and Ryuk subtly took a picture on his phone. Light noticed and glowered at his twin, who pretended he hadn't done anything. Then he crossed his arms,

"Speaking of Amane, I highly doubt she's gonna do anything for us even if we offer to spare her. We need a way to keep her under our thumb." L turned to Ryuk,

"I was thinking mind control, do you have another suggestion?"

"Yes, actually, I do. Have Light or myself pretend to be Kira again. She's stupid enough to fall for it."

L nodded, squatting in a chair, "I suppose that could work. If Light or Ryuk does it, you can tell her that you are a suspect and agreed to pretend, but actually are Kira. But I refuse to let Light do that." 

"What? Why?" Light asked, "I can act. From what I've gathered, I've done it before."

"Do I need to remind you, Light, that you went into a coma and have forgotten everything from the last year the last time you interacted with Misa?" Light shrugged,

"Yeah, but I can handle it. She's a criminal, and we need her help."

"Light," Ryuk sighed, "I promise you, you do not want to do this. You have your brains as a way to be helpful, but she could also easily try to rape you or take advantage of your amnesia. I'll do it—It's my fault you're in this mess anyway."

...

Ryuk wasn't doing this because he really felt any sentimental crap. Yes, he felt guilty for what happened to Light, but that wasn't his motivation here. He needed to talk to Misa, so if L thought he was playing a part, he could speak normally. Regardless, he would have to be careful with what he said.

Light was clearly not happy and crossed his arms, "I can defend myself. You said so yourself that it was an attack from behind that led to my amnesia, not Misa herself. If she's as unbearable as that recording implies, this time, I can leave whenever."

_ Damnit, Light, stop trying to be helpful! I need to talk to Misa for this plan to work, don't you understand? How would you like it if I was getting in the way of all your schemes?! Why can't you either get your memory back or continue stammering around Lawliet and make him glow? How long will it be before you realize he glows when he's happy, and you're clearly the only one who can make him do that? _

L looked between them, "Logically, it would make more sense for Light to do it since he was there the first time. But are we sure mind control isn't a better option?"

"That's immoral." Ryuk shrugged, "Playing with her feelings and using her stupidity to our advantage is much better!" Thankfully, saying it like that made Light's morals kick in,

"Oh... when you put it that way..."

"I'm more of an asshole and, therefore, perfect for this role?" Ryuk shrugged, turning to walk away, "Alright! Where's Misa?"

"You seem abnormally prepared for this." L pointed out, "From what I've observed, you're a chaotic neutral, not actively involved." Ryuk turned back to L, managing to maintain a calm facade when he was actually panicking a little.

"I don't get involved unless something interests me—such as the fact someone tried to threaten my brother into a relationship when she thought he was a vigilante. The idea is intriguing."

"But there's something you're not telling me," L pushed, "By any chance, did you have something to do with Amane being spared from execution?"

"If I did, why would I tell you?" he looked L dead in the eye, "And those were the Shinigami Trait are immune to mind control Traits, so don't think that will work on me. To answer your question, I could care less about whether Misa lives or dies, but the last thing I want is for her to attack Light in retribution for something that isn't his fault."

...

While it was evident that Ryuuku was genuine about doing this to amuse himself, L could see plain as day there was an ulterior motive in Ryuuku's actions. Using Broadband, he did a little searching for a moment and noticed Ryuuku Yagami and Rem Amane used to be classmates. They knew each other, so it wasn't hard to believe Ryuuku had been able to contact Rem and was doing this to please her, or at the very least, keep her off Light's back.

L's first thought was to find out exactly how the two were connected—were they dating? Friends? Or just classmates—and exploit it. If they could get Rem on their side, this would work. There was a 70% chance they knew each other on a personal level, especially with their shared Trait, and both living in the shadow of their sibling.

Well... he could let Ryuuku pretend or pretend to impersonate Kira. If he watched everything, and maybe confine Ryuuku for a bit to see if the killings were affected.

However, something he had to take into account was the high chance the public finding out from Muerte that Kira had the Shinigami Trait would lead to others with that Trait joining in and expecting the original Kira being thrown under the bus for all of it. This meant it was basically impossible to catch one Kira and charge them with anything. At this point, L was trying to round up Kira and any copycat killers and then would find out one way or another how to extract information. He hadn't known until a moment ago that Shinigami Trait users were immune to mind control, and that tidbit put a damper on his plans. How did Ryuuku even know that? It could be common sense since the Shinigami Trait was, for some, just an upgraded version of the mind control Trait.

Just for the hell of it, he tried to make Ryuuku do a cartwheel. Nothing happened. Light was still staring between L and Ryuk as though trying to figure out what to make of their relationship and by proxy how  _ he _ should feel regarding the detective.

Light seemed different. L couldn't place what had changed, just that there was something. If someone asked him here and now, he would say Light almost seemed more innocent. But he was still acting the same. Was he suspecting Light? Well, there was no way Light was Kira at the moment since he had lost his memories of the last year. But, L reluctantly admitted to himself, everyone with the Shinigami Trait was a suspect at this point. Sure, that theory was just that unless they discovered more than one Shinigami-Kira, which at the moment hadn't happened, but it was an undeniable hindrance. 

Meaning that no matter how much he wanted to know and potentially befriend—and for some reason, had a burning desire to protect—Light, he could never be a hundred percent sure. Though, he supposed, Kira had made it very clear he was a vigilante and not a villain, so would it really be that bad if Light was Kira? Killing people was worthy of the death penalty, but only criminals were being killed. After the FBI members weren't killed, L had had the topic brought up more than once that Kira shouldn't be put to death, instead given the vigilante punishment.

L shook himself, his brain going far ahead into an uncertain future. Right now, he had Ryuuku wanting to talk to Misa while pretending to be Kira to keep her under the team's thumb. Alright. This could go wrong in many ways if the sister got involved, so L knew he was going to need to find out what Ryuuku's relationship with Rem was fast, but for now, he had plenty of Traits at his disposal if it came down to that.

"Alright, Ryuuku. You will talk with Misa in a small storage closet. There are hidden cameras in there, but you can easily say there aren't. Convince her that you are Kira and if she wants the two of you to get out of this alive, she has to cooperate with you, and we'll see where things go from there."

Ryuk nodded, "Alright. I can do that." Light walked over to his brother, clearly worried,

"Ryuk, please be careful." L felt a pang of something unidentifiable, hearing that vulnerability and worry in Light's tone, just that whatever the feeling was, he didn't like it.

Ryuk shrugged, "I always am."

OoOoO

"Where are you taking me?" Misa asked as Ryuk dragged her down the hall and shoved her in the closet, "Are you a stalker?!" The tiny room was dark, illuminated by the glowing red of the Trait-suppressing collar around Misa's neck. Ryuk loved the adrenaline rush he felt, knowing L was watching right now, and he had to play the part, and this could efficiently work in favor of his plan. But with how little he could tell her, nothing about her sister, this would prove to be complicated.

"I am Kira, the real Kira. The man you met in the woods was my twin brother, seeking to clear his name to L." Misa stared at him, and Ryuk knew that while her Obliteration was unable to be used, she still had the Shinigami eyes. She could see his Trait, and he could easily prove his ability was stronger than Light's if it came down to it.

Misa glared, "Why should I believe you?" 

"I have no way to prove it for certain, after all, there are plenty of people in the world with the Shinigami Trait. But don't you find it odd that Light Firebringer is the one you meet when he has no reason to be a vigilante? I want to make the world a better place, but how can I do that if I live in my brother's shadow? L may be good at his job..." he put a finger under her chin, and he could tell she was finding herself growing to like the idea of him being Kira, "But he suspected the wrong Yagami twin."

And now he knew she was hooked. Wow, she must be dumber than he thought. He put a finger to her lips, "And before you threaten me into dating you, I'll have you know Rem's not here to help you with that. Do you have any idea how stupid it was to reveal Kira has the Shinigami Trait?"

"I only did it to lure you out!"

"And now, my brother was in a coma for days and has amnesia." Ryuk growled, "One thing my brother got right about Kira is that I do not stand to kill or harm innocents. But, I am the merciful type. I can get you out of this and not executed for your crimes, but you have to work with the task force to catch the current pretender using my name for their own selfish gain."

"Will I be your girlfriend if I do that?" She asked, and Ryuk fought the urge to bang his head against a wall. How had Light put up with this? Well, he had fire he could use to keep her back. And he actually had to flirt with her in secret? He mentally groaned at the thought, and Rem would probably kill him when she found out this was a necessity. 

"The whole point of this is to get you out of this alive?" Misa's eyes watered, and she started crying,

"I would rather die if I'm not your girlfriend!" Ryuk growled,

"I'm starting to wish I hadn't killed the burglar who killed your parents. Listen, you have given me zero reasons to  _ want _ to be your boyfriend. All I've seen from you is an annoying, possessive nutcase. If you want even the slightest chance of being my girlfriend, you need to step it up and not think the fact we both kill people, or you're attractive, will do all the work for you. Will you work with me with that in mind?"

Misa paused, contemplating, and then nodded, "But you have to pretend to be dating me until I can make you genuinely fall in love."

"Seeing as you threatened my brother, that's not gonna be believable in the slightest, and the same applies if you show any feelings towards me whatsoever." He found himself slightly relieved that Misa had threatened Light because now he could use this as a reason for her to be under his thumb, but she also can't talk to him. Light was able to handle himself against the threat, and he had still been rejecting and planning to turn her in before that came into play, so Rem still would have attacked, but now the threat worked to his advantage.

He liked this feeling of control over someone. It was new and exciting, but he could already tell it would become boring rather fast. Light had mentioned when they were younger that while being a celebrity had its perks, the novelty wore off once he realized he'd have to put up with it for the rest of his life. 

Ryuk supposed that this thing with Misa was going to be him learning what it was like to be Light. And Light was going to be spending all his time with L, who wasn't going to be putting him on a pedestal, so in a way, the twins both had a person they would be working with who lead to their roles switching. Light, no doubt, was going to enjoy this a whole lot more than Ryuk. 

Then again, Ryuk was also determined to make sure this ended in his brother getting laid with L—mostly because that relationship sounded like a power couple of doom, and he already liked watching the blushing and the glowing in all it's social awkwardness glory. So anything that left his brother feeling awkward since that was hilarious and would provide endless entertainment for Ryuk sounded like a win-win, especially if Light got his memory back after the fact and realized he had fallen for his sworn enemy. 

And, as a twin, he would be able to rake Light through the coals for it for a good long while and would be given plenty of apples in exchange for shutting up. So Ryuk saw absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Misa pouted, "Fine. But if I apologize to Light, can we pretend to date?"

"I expect an apology to Light regardless, even if he doesn't remember. How about you appreciate I haven't killed you by now and accept the fact I have perfectly good reasons to hate you for dragging Kira's name through the mud."

"For now." She crossed her arms, "Fine. I'll help you, and I know I'll make you fall in love with me one way or another. I've already made someone die for me, so clearly, I'm a charmer."

Ryuk decided he would need to research that, but knew L was already on it. "Alright, so you'll help." He held out his hand for her to shake, already planning to wash his hands after this. She took it and nodded,

"You have a deal, Kira."

"Ryuuku." 

Now he had her and could use her at any time, but he did genuinely have to be careful of L's watchful eye. Hopefully, Light and his amnesia would be the greater focus.

One step closer to completing his plan.


	17. Chapter 17

L and Light observed through the cameras as Ryuk talked to Misa, and Light was slack-jawed. That was what he had been dealing with? Sure, he had heard the recordings, but something about watching all this in person really cemented in that this girl was batshit insane.

"Your brother plays a convincing part," L mused. "Almost too convincing." 

"Come on, L," Light said, "Do you honestly think Ryuk could be Kira? Trust me, he wouldn't have any reason to try unless out of curiosity once Kira already existed, but even then, there would be no way to prove it."

"You have a point, Light," L replied, "And that does make this case all the more frustrating and show the downside of superpowers being a social norm. And add on the confidentiality law, things become even harder."

"Why not use Broadband?" Light asked, and L sighed,

"I already tried and had Matsuda try. The systems used by Trait Doctors are designed to be unable to be hacked by anything. So we can only see those with Traits known before the law was put in place."

"Bummer, that would have made things so much easier." He stared as Ryuk brought Misa back to her heavily guarded room. She tried to kiss him, but he stopped her and shut the door.

For a moment, Light watched Misa through the cameras, swooning over having met "Kira" and convincing herself she would seduce him. In truth, Light felt a little bad for her. Her family had been murdered, and that would mess anybody up—added to the fact she had never been refused by a guy, which could have its own serious implications. She needed serious help, and that was another reason she couldn't take a romantic partner.

Light looked out the window. The moon was rising, and the late-Spring nighttime air was wonderful for flying in. He had always loved the lunar time, which wasn't surprising given the meaning of his name, and he supposed that if there was any perk to Kira, it would be that people wouldn't have to lock themselves away and shun the moon. There was a window that could be opened...

He got up, and L turned to him, "Light, what are you doing?"

"Going out to fly for a bit." He paused, remembering he was supposed to keep L by his side 24/7, "Oh..." he deflated a little, but then brightened again, realizing L would have copied his Trait and therefore had wings.

"I... can't fly." L said hesitantly, also getting up, "I'm sorry, but I have to stay by your side, and if I can't fly, that means you can't either."

"I'll teach you!" Light let his own wings out, "It's fun, trust me." Then he paused, "Didn't you fly me to the hospital?"

"I did, but that and the first time I used wings were adrenaline based in a do-or-die situation. Actual flying is something I would rather not do."

Light crossed his arms, "It's not bad." He paused, "Are you afraid of heights?"

"No. I'm not." He said this defensively enough that he was making it clear he recognized the challenge towards him and released his own wings. Light decided to file away that information to use later that L wouldn't back down from a challenge.

Light crawled out the window and let himself fall a few feet before launching up and hovering in front of the window, holding out a hand to L, "Do you trust me?"

L hesitated but did take Light's hand. Light took note of the fact he didn't answer and would study that later.

"Don't worry. How about I carry you for a little bit so you can get a feel for flying, then we'll try on your own." Light remembered when he was little, and smiled at the memory.

_Four-year-old Light had a face of extreme focus as he tried to get his wings working. They fluttered, but not enough to get him in the air. Ryuk was doing better, he could get himself off the ground, but not very high before falling back to the ground._

_Sachiko still had bandages around her neck from where Light had touched her when his flames activated for the first time, but she had saved her strength so she could see her babies learning to fly. Baby Sayu was in her arms, asleep. Soichiro had a catcher's mitt and had covered the ground in pillows to make sure the young boys didn't hurt themselves._

_"I wanna jump off something!" Ryuk shouted, running towards a tree and trying to climb it. Light was still jumping up and down, trying to get himself off the ground._

_He opened his eyes and noticed his Dad had run over, trying to stop Ryuk, who was already halfway up the tree, no longer caring about flying and was now trying to reach the apple in their neighbor's apple tree. Ryuk stuck his tongue out and got on a high branch, leaning a tad too far to get the apple._

_"Ryuuku! Get down!" Soichiro called frantically, "You'll fall!" Ryuk looked down, only for the branch to break under him._

_Without thinking, Light jumped up, wings working on their own as he went to save his brother, only for Ryuk to figure out flight using adrenaline, and both young boys looked at the ground about five feet below their feet. Wide grins blossomed on both of their faces._

_"We're flying!" Light whooped with delight, struggling for a moment to keep him up, but it wasn't hard now that he had actually gotten off the ground._

Ryuk hadn't cared about the actual flying for anything other than reaching all the apples. Needless to say, their neighbors got rid of that apple tree real fast.

But Light didn't want L to learn by adrenaline or seeing someone falling. If he wanted to do this, it had to be gentle and at L's own pace. 

L retracted his wings a bit and looked at the ground hundreds of feet below. His eyes widened, but Light held him firmly.

"L, I promise I won't let you fall." 

"I-I know." L hung onto Light's neck, which made it a little easier to support his weight. For the sake of practice, Light didn't go up into the clouds, and went relatively slow—but still fast enough to actually stay airborne. He felt the moment L started to relax, and Light stopped on top of a durable balloon, which was designed to be stood on by those with flight Traits.

"Do you want to try?" L nodded, letting his wings out, and Light stepped off the balloon, holding L's hands and guiding him forward, then briskly pulled him close with both hands on L's back to steady him as he got the hang of supporting himself with his wings. L went to look down, but Light stopped him, "Don't look down. Not yet. You need to be more comfortable first."

...

Light didn't realize that he was sending sparks everywhere he touched on L's body. The detective had thought Light was using his flames but also knew that wasn't the case. So what was going on? He had to consciously try _not_ to glow, as he was getting excited and had no idea why. Probably because he was learning to fly and nobody was dying.

But something about the fact Light was teaching him and not just shoving him out a window and saying "learn" like the last time he'd tried to learn to fly made something bubble up. Light was... a friend. A friend. The first true friend L had ever had, and he hoped it would stay that way when Light got his memories back.

They got further and further away from the balloon, and L felt the gentle wind in his hair and sending chills along with his surprisingly sensitive wings. Light noticed his discovery of this and laughed,

"Sensitive wings? Yeah. That's why you don't see people with their wings out while walking around, and those who can't retract them tuck them in like no tomorrow. People _love_ to touch them, and you don't know ticklish until that happens. Not even Ryuk in all his love on entertainment would touch someone's wings."

"How ticklish would you say?" He asked with a small smirk and also noting that conversation as they flew made it easier to get the hang of it on a direct level.

"If you tickled someone's wings," Light replied innocently, "They would probably confess to being Kira. You wouldn't be able to put any merit in that confession, but that doesn't change the fact it would probably happen."

L frowned a little, "Really? That bad?" Light gave a feline grin,

"If you want, I could show you when we get back." He looked up, not seeing the wide-eyed and panicked expression on L's face as he tried to figure out why his heartbeat was so much more prominent. "It's a full moon!" He grabbed L's hand, "Come on, I want to show you something." He flew upwards, and L quickly tried to follow him, finding it a little harder to go up since his wings weren't as strong as Light's, but he was determined and wasn't going to back down, which got him up through the clouds. The air was thin, making it difficult to breathe, but a perk of having a flight Trait meant that you could survive at extremely high altitudes with only the cold being an issue.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The cold chilled his skin, but it didn't hurt like he had expected, too mesmerized by the stars from so high up. Light smiled over to him,

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah... It is." He looked at his hands and noticed he was glowing again. He really needed to find something to make that stop. It was embarrassing.

They stayed up there, watching the stars until they both got too cold and had to come down, and Light grabbed L's hand and flew back to the task force headquarters and dove into the window. L stopped right in front of the window, not trusting himself to not slam right into it and fall to his death. Instead, he carefully stepped into the window.

"See, flying's really easy once you get a feel for it." Light said, "Did you have fun?"

"Yes, I did. I see why you like doing it. If you were to go again, I would be alright with joining you. But for now, I'm cold."

"As you should be with how high up we were. I'm assuming copying didn't give you that internal flame I have."

L cocked his head, "Internal flame? I've heard that term before, but it's generally used when referring to a burnout."

"Yeah, but it also keeps me warm even in frigid climates. You probably got it, but it was canceled out if you copied a water-based Trait at any point."

"That makes sense." L shivered a little, retracting his wings, only to find that momentarily made him even colder. Then Light wrapped him in a blanket,

"Come on, we need to warm you up. I'll ask Watari to bring some hot cocoa."

L's glow became even more intense, and he tried to stop it, really hating his curiosity about this Trait and decision to copy it. Usually, he could control it except for the occasional tiny glow. But _this_ was something else entirely.

When Light thanked Watari for the cocoa a moment later, L wracked his brain for a reason why this could continuously be happening. Sure, Light did make him happy. He was kind, talented, certainly not dull, someone L could call an equal in intellect—Traits didn't matter, but they were both extraordinary in their own way—and L would be lying if he said Light wasn't attractive.

Light was his friend.

But as he worked on the case some more and observed Misa, taking a sip of the cocoa and noticing Light had fallen asleep curled up next to him on the bed they were going to be sharing, L wondered if maybe there was something else he wasn't considering.


	18. Chapter 18

"Ryuk!" Light, L, and Ryuk all groaned in synch as Misa ran over. They were all extremely put out that the collar hadn't shown any side effects yet. Ryuk meanwhile was swearing internally because she was already showing affection when she _shouldn't_ be! Could this girl get any dumber?

Misa paused when she saw Light and looked between the two brothers, probably noticing the resemblance. Then she tried to approach Light, only to slam into a shield of wind which had been conjured up by L, who smirked.

Light looked at L, who had done nothing except sit there, "Woah."

"Hundreds of Traits, remember? I learned new uses for them. I would have used a forcefield, but those are visible, and I wanted to catch her off guard." 

"Can I spar with you sometime? I don't usually get the chance to practice against certain Traits."

L blinked, unsure of what to do because, in truth, he was so used to using dozens of Traits at a time that he didn't know how to handle himself with only one. So he supposed that would be a learning experience for them both, "I'd enjoy that."

Ryuk smirked, then groaned as Misa clung to his neck. Thankfully, the task force had been told about the lie, and Ryuk was glad that Light had had the foresight to explain to their Dad about this ahead of time so Misa wouldn't get their father's Trait used against her. But it was still clear Mr. Yagami did not approve of this plan and was struggling to keep his father-anger under control.

"Hey, Misa, why are you hugging me?" Ryuk asked tensely. Misa giggled,

"Because I love you silly," she looked to a very bemused Light, "I don't think you and I would work out." Light shrugged, sitting down, glad he wouldn't need to deal with her more than when interacting with his brother.

L was looking on the computer, "Mr. Mogi, please take Amane back to her room."

"What?!" Misa screeched, "I want to see my boyfriend!" Everyone tensed, and Soichiro grabbed Misa's wrist,

"That's enough." He dragged her away, and then L got a message from Watari on his computer.

"L, someone's here to see you." 

...

Light frowned, "I didn't know we were expecting visitors." L looked up at him,

"Oh, I forgot to mention it. I've decided to call an old friend of mine to join us on the task force. She's actually a former FBI agent, and Raye Penber's fiancé." Light noticed a slight change in expression on Ryuk's face, as though he recognized the name, but it might be puzzlement at the former FBI agent thing. He decided he'd ask his brother later, figuring the answers would be in his forgotten memories.

Just then, a woman came in the elevator. She was very pretty, with shoulder-length raven hair and grey eyes. Alongside her leather jacket, she wore peculiar gauntlets, and in her hand was a helmet almost like one would use on a motorcycle.

Naomi Misora. Trait – Analysis – Naomi possesses the ability to overlook and scan any area that she desires to focus on, allowing her to see through walls, buildings, and acquire information on a target that she chooses. She is even able to gather information on her opponents' Traits. However, this power does not give her details, like weaknesses, or even precisely what the target's Trait is. However, she can judge an ability based on a number scale, level one being the weakest, and five being the strongest. Specifics are not available for this. Also, she cannot hear anything that is being said if she is too far away from the location. Her maximum range of scanning is approximately a one-mile radius. If she were to overuse this power, she would receive a migraine from processing too much information at once.

"Ryuzaki," she greeted, and L shrugged,

"They know my name, you might as well call me L." Naomi's brow furrowed, and she raised an eyebrow, but she shrugged, going back to examining the other people in the room. Information began to become translated to her as she scanned the area around the group, getting a feel for the type of people she was working with until her eyes landed on Light. 

"I take it you're Light Yagami?" She said, and Light nodded, holding out his hand to shake hers,

"Yeah. I've decided to work on the task force with L to solve the Kira case. What's your Trait?"

"Analysis." She replied, "It certainly came in handy as an agent." Naomi looked to L, and Light sat down,

"So, how do you two know each other?"

"We worked a case a couple years ago, and she accidentally shoved me down some stairs." L looked at Naomi a little, and Light quickly figured out that the incident was a sort of inside joke between them.

"Context please," Light noticed L chuckling,

"You're not the first duel-Trait user she and I know. There was a bit of an incident." That captured Light's attention, even more, having never heard of another person like him besides L. Light had been told he was one in a billion odds, and L was clearly the only person to ever exist with power levels like he had.

"There was someone else like me?" Naomi nodded,

"Yes. He had shapeshifting and Shinigami, namely the eyes. There's a study about whether those with the Shinigami Trait are more likely to have a second Trait."

"But isn't Shinigami essentially a multi-Trait in itself?" Matsuda asked, "Flight, killing, and sometimes those eyes and controlling people."

"Yes, which makes it extremely deadly." Naomi looked between Ryuk and Light, "But it seems that while Light has two Traits, Ryuk's is stronger." Both twins nodded, acknowledging that was true.

But Light felt an unusual knot in his stomach, seeing L talking to this friend of his, but knew that was irrational. Still, he felt uncomfortable enough that he gestured to the gauntlets Naomi wore, "What are those for?" L was the one to explain,

"See, Analysis is a power that specifically outfits Naomi towards an information-gathering role. That isn't to say she is worthless in hand-to-hand combat; on the contrary, but brains were valued far more than brawn was when it came to her. To give her an edge in battle, I had Watari construct a helmet that had an automatic targeting system, which is connected to the gauntlets, which can fire short bursts of lasers from the wrist. Overusing them causes the metal to overheat and burn her, but she had decided the risks were worth it anyway."

"Watari made those?" Light looked at the gauntlets in amazement, and L nodded,

"Yes, he's been an exceptional help for me too. He made the amulet to siphon my power."

"I take it that with the power you have," Matsuda said, "It becomes painful to not have the amulet on?" L didn't respond, but Light could tell that the human body can only handle so much power, and L had passed that limit by a considerable margin. It was funny, though, how much power L had versus what he actually used. Of the hundreds of Traits he had, he only used half a dozen of them often.

"Just to warn you," Ryuk said to Naomi, "We have the second Kira working for us, and we convinced her that I'm the real Kira so she will be under my thumb. But she is the clingy type. We were going to have Light do it, but the last time he did that, he lost his memories of the last year."

"I was wondering why I passed a girl with a Trait-suppression collar on the way up here." Naomi sat on the other side of L, "So, what progress has been made on the case?"

OoOoO

That night, Light was in the shower when Naomi approached L, who was standing by the window of the bedroom he and the Duel-Trait user were sharing.

"This is dangerous," Naomi said, "Telling them about the amulet. If your hunch is right about Ryuuku or pre-amnesia Light being Kira, they could destroy you."

"I'm not worried. I've estimated that in the event the amulet is broken that I will have fifteen minutes before my mind shatters, which is plenty of time for Watari to retrieve one of the spares." Naomi sighed, but then perked up as L turned from where he was staring out the window, "Besides, even if that estimate is wrong, the carranam bond may save me."

Naomi gasped, "You believe Light could be compatible with you? I can see how it may work out, but do you really think you could convince him to test it out?"

"No, but desperate times would call for drastic measures. I would prefer Light not even know the possibility unless we're in a situation where one of us will die without it, so if it fails, it won't change anything. Light isn't Beyond, who would test it out at the drop of a hat, and I know that."

" _He_ was compatible with you?"

"Yes. I don't see why that would come as a shock. But that's beside the point. As long as Amane doesn't use obliteration directly on the amulet, I can't think of a way it would break unless targeted repeatedly by weaker powers, which is of no concern since I can teleport. And trust me, she's too stupid to think of doing anything except attacking me directly."

They heard the door open, and Light came out, a towel wrapped around his lower half. His eyes widened when he saw Naomi, clearly embarrassed. Naomi smiled, turning to L, who she then noticed was glowing a little bit. She smirked, realizing instantly that there may be something other than power level that had the detective wondering if he and Light could create a successful carranam bond.

"I'll leave you two. Goodnight, L."

"Goodnight, Naomi." She left, and Light had brought his wings out to wrap around himself, embarrassed by a girl walking in on him semi-nude. L chuckled at how flustered Light got, but somewhere in the back of his mind doubted that Light before amnesia would be _this_ awkward about it. Of course, Ryuk had mentioned Light wasn't the most confident individual, and expectations were hard on him, and only in the last year did Light get that confidence boost, so L supposed that maybe that was all.

After Light had gotten dressed, hidden behind his frankly stunning wings, he peaked out with a rosy dusting still on his cheeks, "What were you two talking about?"

"Naomi was worried about me and if Amane would try anything. I assured her that Misa is too stupid to try anything. After all, her showing love for Ryuk would have gotten them caught instantly if this wasn't part of an established and known plan." That clearly relaxed Light's worries—and L frowned, realizing that the expression on Light's face clearly had been worry. But why?

But whatever Light was worried about, it had clearly faded now, and been replaced with amusement, "Imagine if Ryuk actually had had this as all a complicated plan. Everything going well, and then Misa's stupidity ruining everything." L nodded,

"I can imagine that it would be very irritating. I do wonder, how long we can keep up the facade, and if she will even pretend to seduce any other Kira that we find into giving information." L sat down in his usual crouch, "Initially, I believed she would see being spared from execution as worth it, but it seems that unless she gets in Kira's pants, she doesn't care about living."

Light looked to the window, "Do you want to fly for a bit and clear your head?" L nodded, letting out his wings, 

"I'd like that very much, Light-Kun."


	19. Chapter 19

Ryuk left the task force headquarters, telling his Dad that he would be flying home. But instead, he met up with Rem in the same clearing Misa had been captured in. 

"How's Misa?" Rem asked, "Is the collar hurting her?"

"It doesn't seem to be," Ryuk replied, "But we're lucky I used L's suspicions to my advantage; otherwise, I would be imprisoned and her executed. I tried to convince her to help the case, telling her that I'm the real Kira, and she said she would rather die unless she's dating me. Then I told her that since she threatened Light that she can't show affection towards me. What does she do the next day? Directly say she has changed her mind about Light and loves me instead!" Rem facepalmed,

"Please tell me you're exaggerating."

"I stole some camera footage if you want to see for yourself. Seriously, I didn't think someone could be this stupid, and that's coming from _me_!" He sent her a look, and Rem frowned,

"I wouldn't say you're stupid."

"But, I am unmotivated to succeed." Ryuk took a bite of the apple she had tossed him, "You owe me big time for this. I thought it would be relatively easy once the hard part of getting L on board was over."

"Isn't our agreement that I make sure she never bothers you again, I supply you with apples during our meetings, and I don't kill your brother the agreement?"

"That's all payment for what I thought would be the hard part. The real challenge is to keep your sister from blowing both our covers. Rem, why didn't you kill that burglar instead of me or Light—I honestly don't know which it was—doing it?" He saw Rem hesitate, and he smirked a little, "Oh, you have _that_ drawback." Rem nodded, biting her lip and looking away,

"I couldn't do anything, or Misa would have been completely alone in the world." 

"But you could have killed the dude after the fact..." And then Rem shot up,

"I did do it! But by the time I did, it was too late, and Misa wouldn't believe me, saying Kira did this, and he's a hero! Now she will do anything, include demand the eyes from me, to meet and thank Kira. It only got worse as she began to support Light more and more in his actions until she wanted to marry him." 

Ryuk pursed his lips into a thin line, understanding quite well what was going on. "I see. At least you're willing to deny her from raping my brother or me."

"Yeah." She spread her wings, and Ryuk followed her into the sky, and he looked below, seeing a young couple had been about to have a picnic there, so they needed to move. "Higuchi is already using our plan to his advantage as much as possible, blissfully unaware we're using him as a scapegoat." 

"So, I take it you have him like putty in your hand?" Rem shuddered,

"That disgusting man... I can influence him, but every second I'm not watching his every move, I fear he's gonna try something."

"I wish you the best of luck. We still have months to go for this to be believable. What are the limits to Higuchi's Trait?"

"He doesn't have the eyes, and he can't control or kill someone with the Shinigami Trait. However, from off-hand comments made, I think he can maintain control of multiple people at once for up to twenty-three days, but that person dies the moment the connection is severed."

"Oh hell," Ryuk ran his hands through his dark hair, "So he could have a small army... okay... Light, Lawli, and I would be fine. But the rest of the task force is screwed." He crossed his arms, then pulled Light's backup plan book out of his bag, struggling as the pages began blowing in the wind. "Alright... there is a plan for battling evil Shinigami Trait users!" He flipped through the pages, then glared, "You've got to be kidding me, Light. _This_ is the plan you didn't finish before bed?!" He took a deep breath, putting the notebook back, "Alright. If I can't learn from Kira, I'll need to go to the second-best option." He was about to take off in another direction when Rem grabbed his hand,

"What second-best option?"

Ryuk grinned, "My brother."

OoOoO

L dodged another ball of flame which had launched out of Light's palm, but he quickly had to deflect another. The rules of their little game were they each had a combat Trait and a movement one. Obviously, Light had Fire and Flight, but of the countless Traits L had, he decided to make this round easy on himself and picked Wind and Teleportation. This meant that he had a secret weapon he could use against Light at any time. 

He teleported as Light nearly punched him with flaming hands, landing on top of the pyromancer and being able to catch his breath for a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, Light was much better at this than him, having been practicing for years.

The fight went on, with L throwing the occasional kick and wincing as Light caught his leg with a burning hand, and moments later pinning him to the ground.

Every single one of L's Traits was ready to strike and annihilate his opponent, but he remembered that was against the rules. He chose to play dirty instead of cheat, teleporting out from under Light, wincing when he realized he was growing tired, as he teleportation took the same amount of energy from him as if he had physically run to that location.

Light showed no such signs of exhaustion, and L noticed toned muscles on Light's arms and a glimmer of excitement in Light's eyes as it was clear this was the first opponent he'd faced to give him an actual challenge. 

But then L smirked, activating his secret weapon and Light fell to his knees, flames no longer working. Light clutched at his neck as if he could claw an airway for himself. What L had done was pull the air away from Light, snuffing out his flames. 

It was a few moments later when Light pressed the surrender button on his hip, which only activated to his thumbprint, and L returned the air to Light, who took in greedy gulps of oxygen, before looking up with a grin.

"I didn't think you'd do that."

"Wind manipulation." L looked down at the sparring clothes he had gotten for himself and used a towel to wipe off the sweat at his brow. That round had gone on for half an hour, "I take it you practice a lot."

"Yeah. And seeing as that's your first time sparring in a while, you did really well." Light took a drink from his water bottle, "I'm impressed. Normally I spar with Ryuk and the occasional classmate, but nobody's actually been a challenge before."

L frowned, his brow furrowing, "How did you know this is my first time in a while?"

"You're a little rusty, but clearly knew the basics of what to do. Watching you fight, it wasn't hard to tell. Who'd you spar with before?"

"Naomi... and an old friend of mine."

"The other Duel-Trait user?"

"Yes. It certainly would be interesting seeing you battle a shapeshifter." He had the towel around his neck, "But I had fun. However, we should probably shower and return to the investigation and save Ryuuku from Misa."

Speak of the devil, and she shall appear, they heard Misa's shrill voice down the hall as the door opened, and Ryuk looked like he had been through some things as Misa clung to his arm.

"Hey, Ryuk," Light waved to his twin, who looked miserable, and L used the telekinesis to pry Misa off Ryuk, and then decided to leave her hovering roughly three feet in the air. The irritating blonde shrieked,

"Hey! No fair, L, I wanna touch my boyfriend! You've got yours, now leave me with mine!" L chose not to respond to the accusation but noticed Light scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. L sighed,

"He's not your boyfriend." He decided to leave, using his telekinesis to take Misa back to her room, where she will continue to hover.

He heard Light chasing after him, "Hey! Your leg." 

"Hm? What about my leg?" L asked, and Light looked down,

"I hurt you earlier, grabbed your leg with my flaming hand."

"Oh, right. It did hurt." He pulled up the leg of his yoga pants to reveal there wasn't even a scar, "But it healed over fast. My Trait allows me to heal without even thinking about it. I would guess the burn was gone almost instantaneously."

"Where did you get your hands on power like that?" Light asked in amazement, and L shrugged, trying to remember.

"I've traveled many places. I don't often remember the people I get my Traits from. I do remember who I got shapeshifting from."

"Do you use it often?" He heard a slight nervousness in Light's voice, causing him to cock his head,

"No. Why? The only time I use it is to help support my back sometimes."

"Just... don't ever change yourself, especially your eyes." Was all Light said, and then he walked away towards the shower. L watched him go, eyes wide, and wondering if he had just been complimented.

...

Light was cursing himself, wondering why the hell he had butterflies in his stomach. And how his heart had leaped when Misa had said boyfriend? He felt himself get excited at how L hadn't denied that, but forced himself to push that down. 

But he did let himself feel some joy that he finally did not have a sparring partner with strictly similar abilities, instead someone with powers capable of smothering his and had no qualms with doing so. L wasn't going to hold back when he could strike. Finally, somebody who wouldn't be gentle with him.

He was about to grab a change of clothes for after his shower when suddenly Ryuk pulled him into the bathroom, the one place in the building without cameras. He frowned, seeing his twin almost frantic, "Ryuk, what's wrong?"

"I may have made an enemy." That had Light worried since Ryuk didn't usually cause people to hate him.

"What could you have done?"

"I don't know. I was flying, and suddenly a guy grabbed me. It was late, so I couldn't see his face, but he told me to drop the Kira case, or he'd kill the task force." Light tensed.

"Do you think it was... no..." Light crossed his arms, "The first Kira was very firm about not killing innocents. Do you think this is the third Kira? L was talking about anyone with the Shinigami Trait hopping on the bandwagon for their own gain. Did the guy's voice tell you anything?"

"Probably middle-aged," Ryuk replied, "Just kinda had that sound to it, but the wind was blowing, so I could be wrong." Light nodded, placing his hands on Ryuk's shoulders,

"It's good that you came to me about this. I'll tell L about it tonight, and we can think of a plan together. We'll go over all possible outcomes. I take it this guy probably has the eyes or stalked you."

"Here's hoping it's not the latter." Ryuk laughed hollowly, "And do you mind if I hide in your room for a bit while you shower? I can only deal with Misa for so long. She keeps trying to talk to me about our babies and what dress she should wear for our wedding."

"You're both eighteen. Isn't that a little young?"

"Apparently she's closer to twenty and under the impression that what she wants and is ready for, the rest of the world will agree with." Light sighed,

"Well, tell her that's not how the world works and _I_ feel uncomfortable, and you aren't allowed to get married unless you get the blessing from Mom, Dad and me. And trust me, I would never let you suffer like that."

"Thanks, bro. You're more helpful than you'd think." He clapped Light on the shoulder, "Now, as your twin, I must tell you that as a thank you for helping me with psychobitch, I am going to give you the greatest advice."

"And what is that?"

"You've got the hots for L, stop lying to yourself." Then he ran off, cackling, and leaving Light feeling awkward, but then his eyes widened as he realized...

"Damnit, he's right." 


	20. Chapter 20

"L, I noticed something. Can you check the source to make sure there aren't any errors?" Light looked to L, who looked over his shoulder, seeing the growth in Yotsuba. Then he vanished, jumping into the computer, followed quickly by Matsuda, to gain more ground quicker. In this day and age, Matsuda's Trait made him one of the most valuable members of the task force.

Within a few moments, both came back. Matsuda's eyes were magenta for a few seconds before returning to brown. L didn't have that Quirk, so he was normal. 

"It is undoubtedly a promising lead," L mused, thumb tracing along his lips, and Light had to look away to not let his mind wander on that. Damn Ryuk just had to point out that Light might see L in a more-than-friend way, and now he just felt _awkward_. He knew that all the weird was confined to his head, but he was in constant fear that L would get his hands on a mind-reading Trait, and then he would know, and that would be mortifying.

"So Yotsuba is the next thing to investigate." Naomi looking around on her computer. Matsuda was already sitting down, and his eyes flew around under the lids as he scoured every online source. 

"Found it!" Aizawa glowered from where he was looking at paperwork with the help of the shadows he was commanding,

"What's the point of even being here if Matsuda's Trait is the only useful one of the officers here?" Light turned,

"Remember, this is an information-gathering role, so someone with a Trait with that aspect will, of course, be more useful. However, when it comes to actually apprehend Kira, and potentially needing to get past crazed fans, a combat Trait is absolutely more helpful. Even if Broadband also has a combat aspect, what if there is no WiFi signal? What if Kira manages to evade capture, and I'm close to a burnout?"

"Light-Kun is exactly right," L said, "Even if some Traits aren't as helpful now, what if we need them later? That being said, for these purposes, I am going to bring two old friends in on this investigation. Their Traits will make infiltration even easier. Once we get a feel for who Kira is, we'll bring Misa in and hope she's actually useful."

Light shrugged, "She's been kind of a suckup to me in an attempt to gain my blessing for her to marry Ryuk, so if Ryuk can't convince her, _I_ might be able to."

"The sooner we finish this case and get that girl off of Ryuuku and into an institution," Soichiro said, "Would be ideal."

"Agreed." L used Broadband to flick through websites, "Alright, Mr. Mogi, I have printed off a fire for every single Yotsuba employee. Please collect them. Naomi, check the number on each employee's Trait and number them as needed. Any worker with a number close to Ryuuku's or higher will be a person of interest, and we can narrow the search down from there."

And so, they all got to work on their respective jobs, and Naomi sorted each file with Mogi's help, and they got done with thousands in two hours.

At one point, Ryuk came up, his appearance disheveled, 

"Give me another job, something, _anything_ . I can't deal with her anymore." He sat down, "Oh, and L, you owe me an _orchard_ of apples for this."

"I was going to give you that anyway. Why do you love apples so much?" Ryuk shrugged,

"I just like them, but hey, I could have worse addictions."

"Yeah," Matsuda piped up, "It could be drugs."

"Ryuk," Light stood up, "I need to talk to you. Twin stuff." Ryuk smirked,

"Alright then," he got up, "I hope you can all deal for a bit, but this is twin time." L furrowed his brow, but shrugged,

"Fine. Be back in half an hour, and maybe bring back some dinner." Light nodded, running off with Ryuk, who grinned as they grabbed their wallets and jumped out the window.

"What did you wanna talk about?" Ryuk asked tauntingly, knowing full well what the topic was. 

"You're the worst! You pointed out my... affection for L, and now every time I look at him—" Ryuk was giving him a shit-eating grin, and Light glared as his brother started cackling, "It's not funny!"

"It is, it really is!" He continued to laugh, "I really needed a good laugh after dealing with Misa for so long. She really wants us to find another way to force a marriage."

"She wants sex?"

"Yup. If she asks, I've taken a vow of chastity." Light rolled his eyes,

"I thought you did that years ago so you could prioritize apples?"

"Pretty much. So what do you want me to do about you being in love with L?"

Light ran his hands through his hair, "I don't know! What am _I_ supposed to do?!" 

"Confess to him?" Ryuk offered, and Light hid his face behind his hands to hide his embarrassed blush at just the thought.

"I can't do that! What if he doesn't return my feelings? And this would change everything! And you know I'm not good with emotions, so at this rate, I am going to be a stammering mess in a week."

Ryuk sighed as they landed and bought some take out, "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"Yes, please!" Ryuk rolled his eyes,

"Fine, I'll do that."

OoOoO

Wedy. Trait — Technopathy. Wedy's Trait allows her to animate and control mechanical objects. She can communicate with pieces of tech and hear any communication done on that device, such as a phone call or an e-mail exchange, or manipulate security cameras and wiretaps to cease function.

Aiber. Trait – Loyalty Manipulation. Aiber possesses the ability to control people based on the level of loyalty they possess, by controlling their brains through a method of Telepathy that allows him to override their priorities and subservience towards him. This power will enable him to force them to become subservient to him. However, this Trait does have many limitations. This power does not work on people who are incredibly loyal or possess little to no loyalty to others. He has to find people who are neither too or not loyal enough at all. However, the people he can control will do anything he commands them to do, even at the risk of their own lives. This Trait also doesn't work on those with the same Trait.

"Aiber, Wedy, it's good to see you again," L smiled and proceeded to introduce everyone to each other. He saw Light observing the two new members curiously, and it was clear Soichiro and Naomi weren't the biggest fans of working with criminals, but Naomi trusted L's judgment.

Ryuk then came in with a bag of what was probably apples, "Has hell frozen over? I wasn't scared out of my skin by Misa when I came up."

"Oh," L turned, "I have Matsuda pretend to be a manager for Misa, who is acting in a movie, to get her life back to normal so we can use her against Kira."

"And how are you going to explain the Trait-Suppressing collar?" Naomi asked, and L sat down,

"She is still a known suspect, but nothing's been confirmed. I am glad I had never publically announced Muerte's identity. I was going to do that once she was already dead."

Just then, Watari called on the computer, "L, it's a distress signal from Matsuda."

"What?" L turned to the computer, worried, "Where is it from?"

"The Yotsuba main building."


	21. Chapter 21

So, at last, Misa could be useful to the team as they rescued Matsuda. This came in handy because Wedy and Naomi had enough dignity that wearing those outfits Misa was okay with would be an absolute no. And it gave Ryuk a whole hour without being in constant fear she would try to jump or drug him again. Lately she had been locked in one of the storage closets instead of her own floor.

Once they had taken advantage of Matsuda narrowing down the suspects to eight, Ryuk used his eyes and announced that Higuchi was Kira. It was all straightforward, and Matsuda's incident managed to make things much easier. Just to be safe, they now had to fake Matsuda's death.

As soon as Matsuda fell, L called his phone, and Matsuda activated his Trait, teleporting through the call and ending up next to Soichiro. The younger officer was stoic for about a minute before needing to sit down, his entire body trembling. 

"Well, Matsuda," Ryuk gleefully announced, "Your Trait saved your life, and we know who Kira is!" 

"That—That's good." Matsuda nodded to himself, "Yeah, that's good."

"Was that your first near-death experience?" Naomi asked, and Matsuda nodded a little, earning a small smile from the former FBI agent. "Let's hope that will be your last."

"Well, it's not going to be, unfortunately." L crossed his arms, "We still need to bring him in. Businessmen like him can use talented lawyers to get out of trouble, and most likely start a Traitism scandal, going all 'you are accusing him due to his Trait' and all that crap. We need to trick Higuchi into revealing himself."

Light bit his lip, "Yeah, and we have a pretty good idea of the limits to his abilities... assuming he's the original Kira. Because what if he isn't, and just someone who hopped on the Kira bandwagon? Then we don't know his limits."

Ryuk rubbed the back of his neck, and his expression changed to alarm for a split second. But L and Light were the only ones to pick up on it. L just tapped his laptop, and his breathing became heavy for a moment before his eyes flew open, 

"So, hacking into medical records isn't going to happen." Ryuk jumped up,

"Give me a couple hours, and I might be able to get the info. Maybe you guys could start getting some sort of armor ready?" L shrugged,

"I suppose so. I have something I want to try with you, as well as Light, to enhance your Traits. And I suppose having armor made would be beneficial. Watari," he pressed a button on his computer, "Please create the necessary gadgets for myself and the other members of the task force, and construct armor."

"You're actually joining the fight, L?" Light asked, and L nodded, 

"Yes, the more power we have on handy, the faster we can bring Higuchi in. I will need to be careful, though, until we find out more info about Higuchi." He held the amulet in his slightly shaking hand, tracing the edges of the amethyst in the center of it with his thumb. "Light-Kun, have any memories of the last year returned to you?"

"Not much." Light replied, "I get small moments back, like being a victim in a bus jacking, but my thought process is blurry." L sighed,

"That's a shame, I would have hoped something more would have come back. Maybe I'll train my own memory powers to see if I can bring them back."

Light chuckled from where he sat, "Why am I not surprised that's one of your Traits."

L put a finger under his chin, "Because I've got hundreds, I suppose."

Both laughed, not noticing the odd look Naomi was sending in Light's direction.

OoOoO

Ryuk flew to Higuchi's house and peaked into Rem's bedroom, and was glad to find her simply reading a book and not undressing or something equally embarrassing to be witnessed doing. 

"Rem!" She looked up and ran over to the window, speaking in a loud whisper,

"Ryuk, what are you doing here?"

"I need you to give me a written summary of Higuchi's powers. Light and crew know it's him, and they're setting a trap and are ready for a fight." Rem smiled,

"That's good. But for me to make something that could pass as from a Trait Doctor, I would have to do forgery, which could take a long time and might come too late."

"Can't you use your Trait to control Higuchi's Trait Doctor to send me the file? I know "

"That would be increasing the lifespans of anyone who would be fighting, and as such would be the death of me." 

"Oh, right, shit." He swore, "Well... fuck. I don't have that side effect, so can you give me the name and a photo?"

"I don't know who his Trait Doctor is, and to ask would get me caught." Ryuk nodded to himself, hopping down from the windowsill and walking out of Rem's room once he had dropped his backpack at the foot of her bed, "Ryuk, what are you doing?!"

"Looking for some info, obviously. It's so interesting to be involved! Where's his laptop?"

"In his bedroom, typically. At the moment, he should be researching criminals to kill in his private room to hide his actual goal of eliminating competition."

"Alright, can you at least write down the basics of his routine? And if anyone asks, I broke into Higuchi's place all by myself." Rem rolled her eyes,

"In a way, you did."

"Exactly. According to what I've learned from Light, the best lies hold a kernel of truth. Now show me the way."

"Alright. I'm gonna warn you, there is a bookcase on the far end of Higuchi's room, which holds a secret door to the room he's currently in, so this is extremely dangerous."

"How so? Didn't you say he can't kill or control people with the Shinigami Trait?" Rem nodded,

"Yes, but who knows what else his wealth has allowed him to get his hands on. I've seen some of the stuff he has, he could hurt you."

"I'll be fine, Rem. And honestly, your sister is so miserable to be around that I think I will take being tortured over dealing with her for another five minutes." Rem led the way and glared in his direction,

"She's not a bad person. She's kind and sweet and—"

"Tried to give me a roofie last night in hopes of conceiving children and thus Light and my Dad having no choice but to give their blessings in marriage."

"Oh, for the love of God. She is really not helping her case." 

"You're telling me. I don't even know where Misa got one of those drugs! Honestly, Rem, I can stop her from being executed. Still, L is currently making a list of other charges to throw at her and seeing as she's been barely useful with the unexpected addition of two intelligent young women who would fill a role if there was no other option. Things aren't looking good keeping Misa out of prison."

"I can deal with that," Rem muttered, "Bailing her out shouldn't be too hard." They walked into a nicely furnished room, and Rem opened and drawer and pulled out a laptop. Ryuk examined the files inside and started the process of sending them to himself, hoping he was doing this right because Light was undoubtedly a better hacker than he was. If he could get these files, he would be successfully able to open them, and Light could hack through the passcodes. 

He knew what he was doing was extremely illegal, mainly thanks to the confidentiality law, and yes, it would be interesting for the task force to go in blind. Still, Ryuk was just as human as them, and while he was apathetic to death, he wasn't going to let them fly to their deaths if it could be avoided. And the last thing he wanted to risk was L, their wild card, ending up under Higuchi's control.

After sending the files to his personal computer, he looked to Rem wearily, "Rem, you do know what's about to happen, right?" Rem hesitated, before sighing,

"That arresting one man is going to start an all-out war and an end to society as we know it?" 

"Here's hoping Light never gets his memories back. He'll never forgive himself." Ryuk chuckled humorlessly, "At least there is no denying this is going to be interesting."

"Definitely," she clenched her fists, "Yotsuba plans to send a missile to L's base if it comes down to it. Apparently, 'Yotsuba is powerful' or something along those lines as justification. The only way I have been able to convince Higuchi to not do that is by pointing out Misa, his supposed future bride is there." She gagged, and Ryuk's eyes widened, realizing that had initially been a source of entertainment in his brother being blissfully unaware to the real danger of vigilantism was turning into a possible societal collapse and world war. 

He was in _way_ over his head here.

They both saw the bookcase open and started panicking as Ryuk shoved the laptop back in the drawer and tried to make a break for it, but Higuchi walked down, talking the whole room with a look of confusion and anger on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Higuchi asked, walking in the direction of Rem, and Ryuk frowned, seeing the villain wasn't acknowledging the total stranger in his home. Rem also seemed confused by this and panicked.

"I was looking for you. I was planning on making myself some tea and was wondering if you wanted some." Was the quick lie Rem came up with that Ryuk would have believed if he hadn't witnessed firsthand the lie.

Then he looked in the mirror at his reflection—or lack thereof. He gaped, before grinning as he realized his Trait must have grown, and now he could be invisible! Could he phase through things? He didn't want to risk that. He supposed it made sense since he was eighteen and, therefore, at the estimated time for a power spurt.

 **Update. Ryuuku Yagami's Trait:** Ryuuku can turn invisible at will, and it will often trigger by itself in the event of fight-or-flight.

He decided to wait until Rem opened the door, gesturing for an oblivious Higuchi to follow her to the kitchen. He scrambled back to Rem's room, grabbed his backpack, and leaped out the window and back to Light and L, who were impressed by the files he had gotten his hands on.

"How did you get these?" Light asked as he started downloading a macro to get past the password protection, which was helping along by L using Broadband to push it a bit. Ryuk giggled,

"I saw one of his windows was open. I just walked in, got on his computer, which wasn't even password-protected, and e-mailed this stuff to myself, then deleted any evidence I ever had."

"That sounds too easy," Wedy crossed her arms, "I was looking at his security, and it's exceptionally high-tech. You should have been caught on all the cameras, and triggered the security system."

"But I didn't," Ryuk snapped, "Because of this," he successfully willed his hand to be invisible, "My Trait upgraded. So Higuchi won't even be able to see who the culprit is. Also, I saw an e-mail on his computer that he's been talking to Ooi about sending a missile over here to kill us."

"That's unfortunate." L muttered, "Good thing myself and Wedy could hijack it to prevent that. Light-Kun, any luck on hacking?"

"Sort of. I got in, but these files are—oh, oh no. Nope. I am closing that." He shut the computer and had the air of a man who had been scarred for life. His disturbed expression, lips pressed in a thin line while his eyes held a trace of alarm, just helped. 

"What is it?" Soichiro asked, and Light forced himself to speak,

"Well, I know what he plans to do _after_ killing us." L took the laptop, blinking a few times.

"That wasn't helpful. But now we know what we're dealing with."

"A twat?" Ryuk suggested, and L shrugged in response.

"Yes. That particular file was not helpful. However, from what I gather on these other files, I can get a feel for what we're going to be fighting against."

"Is there anything about his Trait Doctor?" Matsuda asked, and L shook his head.

"No. However, from what I can see here, Higuchi working with someone to create a device with a similar and yet completely opposite function as a Trait Suppression collar. How the collars work is a vibration sending signals up to the brain for certain purposes. This technology can also relieve pain from say a migraine."

"You think Higuchi is trying to create a collar with signals to make the Trait stronger?"

"Something along those lines." L muttered, "If we're lucky, this will finish Higuchi off, and that's that. However, this appears to be safer than suppressing a Trait—which is forcefully blocking off the function of part of the brain. My only conclusion as to why Misa is unaffected is how brain dead she is already." There were small chuckles, and nobody tried to deny it, even though they all knew that if stupidity in itself could kill people, it would have done so already. Stupidity, you gave it a valiant effort.

Light laughed a little longer than everyone else, and L blinked, utterly oblivious to the rosy blush on Light's cheeks. Ryuk smirked, determined to make the emotionally-constipated detective realize his feelings for Light. This was going to be his second greatest challenge—the first being this whole imminent world war—and he was ready to make it happen.

First things first, though, try to figure out how to make Naomi not suspicious anymore because it was clear she developed a suspicion since Light mentioned the bus-jacking, which her fiancé had been on. He sighed, knowing he would need to deal with that on his own. If worst came to worst, he could always make sure she hit her head in the coming fight, but that was both immoral and risky.

He bit his lip. This was going to be interesting.

OoOoO

It took all of three seconds for L to realize he was dreaming, or more specifically having a premonition. Future vision, an ability he had, and it hadn't made itself useful in a long time.

It was hard to see what was surrounding him, but from what he could tell, he was flying far above the city. The reason it was hard to see was because of the near blinding flames wrapped around Light Yagami, whose hand was clasped in L's. Only after a moment did L realize there was intense pulsing pain in his head, and a stinging from his palm. He then realized that he and Light were in the middle of using the carranam bond, and he understood why Light looked somewhat strained, eyes closed, and he was panting heavily as he pulled L a little closer to him, almost protectively. L felt no pain from the fire, and he looked up at Light,

"Easy," he used all his strength to order, but Light didn't seem to hear him. "Steady," the flames only grew hotter. He wasn't burned by the fire, his bond with Light protecting him from damage, but he was starting to sweat, "Light-Kun, stop!" 

Light opened his eyes and looked down at him slowly. Too slowly. His red irises were now the color of flaming embers as if the fire was using _him_. He closed his eyes again, continuing to burn. 

L tried to shout, do something to snap Light out of this as he saw his friend's arms were burning, and not simple burns. Like charred and blackened to a crisp, and it was spreading up his hands to his forearms. But he found himself unable as another pulse of agony, unlike anything he had ever felt before made dark spots dance in his vision. All he could do was try to pull away. However, he wasn't actually here, instead experiencing a premonition from the future, so he could not act, nor could he figure out the source of his pain.

_"Light!"_

L shot awake in a cold sweat, his entire body trembling to where he saw Light was sleeping peacefully next to him. He wasn't burning out, he was okay.

After taking a few more deep breaths to calm his racing heart, L got up and walked into the bathroom, splashing his face with water as he processed what he had seen. 

If he had to guess, that vision had taken place during the inevitable battle with Higuchi or potentially another Kira. There was nothing he could do to stop that fight. But he didn't want to see his best friend harmed or dead in such a way—burning alive from the inside out, truly a terrible way to die.

As much as he wanted to prevent that particular aspect of the future, he didn't know what he could do. Any action he took against it might make it come to pass. And from what he had gathered, something had happened to leave L in pain and probably injured, and Light had been the one to initiate the bond. So what could he do to save Light?

He shook himself, clutching the amulet close to his chest. This might just be a nightmare. It didn't have to be a premonition. And if it was... he could just be careful.

As L crawled back into bed, he felt his wings emerge of their own accord, one of them wrapping around Light and pulling him closer, almost as though shielding him from harm.

He turned and gazed at Light. Pale brown hair brushed over his forehead and halted before full semi-lengthy lashes. Eyelids hid soft crimson irises, not the burning embers in L's nightmare, which complimented sun-kissed skin.

L pursed his lips, knowing he shouldn't be thinking about his friend's undeniable beauty in the face of a crisis. He brushed Light's bangs out of his face, giving a bitter smile.

It was then that he vowed to himself that he would do anything he could to prevent that future of Light burning out from coming to pass. 

But a pool of dread filled in his stomach as he realized he had no idea what actions he could take to save himself and Light.


	22. Chapter 22

Ryuk was putting on a mask designed for him by Watari, which concealed half of his face and had the form of the Shinigami from legend. He grinned, "So, Watari, this thing is really cool, and I get why it only covers a little over half my face, so I can still see, and yet Higuchi won't be able to control me, but what else does this do?" 

Watari took the mask from Ryuk, sitting him down and explaining the new gadgets, while Light was examining his new leather gloves.

"The lense within the fake eye is designed to help you enhance their vision. It functions like a camera lens which you can focus in and out as it's connected to sensory technology, which connects with the mind to read your thoughts, and based on that, it knows who to focus on and if it should switch to night vision."

"Awesome!" Ryuk looked down at the rest of his armor, which was somewhat gargoyle themed, trying to turn invisible, brightening when it turned invisible with him. He let out his wings, noticing a metallic look to them, "What's this?"

"It's like a protective layer on the back of your wings with laser 'wings' added for aerodynamics. The covering connects to the back of your armor and extends to fit your wings through various sensory technology, which makes flying feel more natural and less controlled by a machine. Added to that, the machine can adjust itself based on the user's stress levels and nervous system. Now," he placed his hands on the coverings, and Ryuk tensed visible, waiting for the ticklish sensation, only to relax when there was none, "The wings also possess sensors that respond to wind. If there is, for example, no wind, the wings will produce a small blow of power to make the user fly more easily through a gust of wind created by the machine. If there is a lot of wind, the device will have less power produced, and put more focus on balancing the user while gliding."

"Nice." Ryuk fluttered his wings, only to shriek as he found himself flying, except he was upside down, "Help!" Light giggled, trying on his own armor, which was significantly lighter, which had a look to it, not unlike Chandra Nalaar, but was mostly comprised of leather and latex. The metal on his armor was an alloy of aluminum, a lightweight but hard metal used for a lot of industrial protection in cars or planes. There was also a coating of Urethane paint under a protective coating.

But the most striking feature was his leather gloves, which had the gold engraving of a dragon on them. "Watari, what do the pipes on my gloves do?"

"The pipes can release a tiny bit of hydrogen as you need, and that will make you flames much stronger, and once that hydrogen runs out, a little more will be released."

"So more power with less effort." L nodded, "Very practical." Light nodded, letting out his wings and attempting to fly, only to end up in the same situation as Ryuk. L laughed as the twins struggled, not used to having assistance in flight. 

Then he looked at his own armor, which was much sleeker and metallic, and had a place in the center where the amulet could be locked in place, so it didn't fall off. Since the primary coloring was silver with black at the pants, the purple of the amethyst inside the amulet complimented it nicely. And he could already tell there was a lot more tech in his than in Light or Ryuk's. 

He let out his own wings, finding it much easier to fly with the assistance—but perhaps because only in the last few weeks did he learn how to fly while Light and Ryuk had been doing it for nearly fifteen years. He helped Light, who was flailing, letting Light hold onto him for balance, just as Light had done for him. 

Light clung to him a bit, eyes wide and a rosy blush on his cheeks, and L chuckled as he quickly looked away, before the mood darkened. That image of Light burning came back into his mind, of his hands blackened to a crisp—perhaps that had simply been his Tell, and the lighting made it look like he was burning out, but L didn't think so, those ember-like eyes had gotten the message across. 

Soichiro laughed as Ryuk struggled to get himself upright, screaming as the assistance made him launch into the ceiling, only to dive towards the ground and land safely. He fumbled for a moment as Light started figuring it out, "This is going to take some adjusting to."

"Well," L brightened, "We could always go out to fly tonight and get some practice in."

"Sounds like fun!" Light replied eagerly. Wedy and Aiber smirked at each other, seeing very clearly what was going on, and Matsuda pouted, giving Wedy some money. Naomi's brow furrowed with concern, not amused by what was happening. This was only noticed by Ryuk, however, who managed to get Naomi alone while Light and L were subtly flirting, and L remained oblivious to what he and Light were doing.

"Hey, Naomi, what's up? You've seemed extremely concerned." Naomi turned,

"Oh, it's nothing, Ryuuku," she assured, but Ryuk was not convinced, crossing his arms with a playful grin on his face,

"Come on, you can tell me. You've been acting weird since Light mentioned the bus jacking..." Ryuk feigned realization, "Oh. You're worried that my brother or I actually is Kira."

"He was on the same bus jacking as my fiancé, the guy ended up dead, you both have the Shinigami Trait, and then a week later there is an alert Kira knew enough about FBI agents to kill them. Forgive me for being skeptical, especially with both of you close by to L and you having Shinigami eyes, so you know his true name."

Ryuk hesitated, before chuckling, deciding to lie a bit to get Naomi off his back. And there was no way she would ever be able to learn this was a bluff about which twin had been using their Trait. "I will admit that I was closeby when Light was on the bus jacking, and I manipulated events to ensure the one who attacked my brother would pay, neither of us is Kira. It all boils down to the fact it could have easily been an accident, and it still counts as a defense."

"Why are you telling me this?" Naomi asked, raising an eyebrow, "Surely, you would want to keep that a secret."

"I'm proving a point." He sat down, "Do you know what's coming? My ability to act and kill a criminal without detection proves that anyone with the Shinigami Trait could go insane. And if Higuchi is as powerful as I fear, this could lead to..."

"All out war." Naomi gave a resigned nod, "I've discussed the possibility with L. He's concerned too. But there's, unfortunately, nothing you can do."

"Well, my point in mentioning this is that I know I'm not perfect," Ryuk admitted, looking at his hands, which were covered in black and grey armor with hints of faded turquoise, "I never thought I would be wearing this kind of armor. I'm never expecting you to trust my brother or me—too many coincidences, as you think. But neither of us is Kira, or at the very least, neither of us will harm L. I mean," he winked, "I'm pretty sure he's my future brother-in-law." That got a chuckle out of Naomi, 

"Those two do seem very close."

"Yeah, and L is totally oblivious to this! I even asked him about it, and he said 'Light is a very good friend.'" Naomi had an expression that looked downright offended for a split second, before relaxing,

"I suppose even if you are lying to me about being Kira, it could be worse. Kira did let the FBI agents, and my fiancé, live. And something tells me Higuchi is clearly not the original and wouldn't have done that."

"I thought it was universally accepted that there is no way Higuchi was the original." Ryuk mused, because while his original plan had relied on pinning Higuchi as the original, his MO was too different, and with how society worked, there would be no way to prove it anyways.

Naomi nodded, "Yes. So I suppose if you are Kira, I should thank you just this once, but even if you're not, I still find myself reluctant to trust you."

"That's fair. I'm pretty sure not even my brother trusts me completely, but he has no idea how much I've been helping him out in the last couple of months since he lost his memories. Speaking of which, it's about time I check on the gremlin." He huffed, walking down the stairs in the direction of Misa's room, "Have a good day, Naomi."

"Have a good day as well, Ryuuku."

OoOoO

L was staring at the ceiling when he felt Light turn in their massive bed to stare at him, "What's bothering you?" L turned his face in Light's direction, painting on a mask of apathy,

"I have noticed there is one spot on the ceiling that is slightly darker than the rest," he gestured upwards, and Light cringed,

"I can never unsee that." But then his smile faded. "You're worried about what's coming tomorrow. Ryuk seems to think this could be the beginning of the end. Do you think so?"

L held his amulet in his hand, pressed against his chest, and not wanting to meet Light's gaze, "I don't want to believe it, but I fear he's right. The veil of society is a thin one, and Kira could have very well been the catalyst for total societal collapse."

"Well, surely, Kira knew that, right?" Light asked. "Or is he stupid?"

"No. Not stupid." L admitted, "Naive. Light-Kun, do you know why vigilantism is illegal?"

"My father always told me it was because dumb kids kept trying to be helpful and failing."

"That's part of it. But the real danger is the vigilantes who do make a difference. Like Batman."

"That old American cartoon which was banned for encouraging vigilantism?"

"Yes, but here's the thing: it actually showed the real danger. Fans becoming cheap knockoffs, which is where the 'dumb kids' trope comes from, and eventually, it becomes impossible to tell who was the original as countless others with the same Trait. If you take any steps to find the original, all the delicate little snowflakes in the world will get angry and ignore the greater good for the sake of being able to get offended at something this week."

Light rolled his eyes, but those words clearly made him start thinking, "Why is this reason not common knowledge?"

"It's a manipulation tactic. Do you really want to be known as a dumb kid by the world? And honestly, what kind of message does it send if success is bad in this field? That's just another way for lazier people to get away with not doing anything. But here's something most vigilantes don't know—no one man can change the world."

"It's the domino effect that changes the world, right?"

"That's right, Light-Kun. You're getting the hang of this." He felt his hand move towards Light's clasping the other boy's hand in his, "Whatever happens tomorrow... be careful, okay?"

Light nodded, "Same applies to you. But of course, with your power, this whole thing is probably going to be over within ten minutes. Not that I'm complaining about wearing my own armor. I didn't think I would get to do that for years."

"Well, it suits you, Fireheart." Light's eyes widened considerably, 

"Wha—What did you just call me?"

"Firebringer, isn't that what everybody else calls you?" L had to look away, realizing what he had done. But friends had nicknames for each other, so why was he embarrassed?

"Oh. I just thought you said something else." He shrugged, "Well, tomorrow's going to be fine. There's nothing to be nervous about, right?"

"Yeah." L nodded to himself, still trying to get that nightmarish image to leave him alone, "Nothing to worry about."

OoOoO

There was a lot to be worried about. 

Light, Ryuk, and L were all back to back, holding back hoards of enemies as Higuchi laughed above them with a very concerned Rem by his side.

Rewind to an hour ago as to how this had happened.

Their plan to capture Higuchi had been going amazingly well. Matsuda played his part and then teleported out of harms' way to join the rest of the task force for the arrest, donning his armor, which was not unlike a superhero from comic books.

But then came the moment Higuchi had threatened Rem at gunpoint in full view of the cameras to give him the eyes. Ryuk had known then that everything was going to hell. This was all going worse than before, and he put on that experimental enhancement collar shown in his files.

"This isn't right!" Naomi shouted, "Nobody on the task force without the Shinigami Trait can arrest Higuchi."

"Why?" Aizawa asked, and Ryuk sighed,

"His Trait... it will be devastating if anyone gets involved unless they're immune like those with the Shinigami Trait are. Come on, guys, we need to handle this." Misa ran in and saw the cameras,

"Rem?!"

"We'll save her, Misa." Light assured, "I'm pretty sure she's a hostage whose been kept with him for a situation like this." 

So the three put on their armor and flew into the city after him, L slowing time so they could keep up with him, and trying to force Higuchi into a more secluded area.

But to their horror, there were other police vehicles there, ready to help, but had led themselves into a suicide mission. 

"Fuck it," Light growled, his hair alight as he launched a jet of flame out of his hands and making the car explode, unfortunately, moments too late as Higuchi flew out of the burning ashes and made eye contact with the three heroes. 

"We're Shinigami like you," Ryuk taunted, "You aren't going to be escaping us." Higuchi looked terrified for a moment before looking at the ground below them and all the officers. L launched at Higuchi, sending him down a few hundred feet, before being struck by a mighty wind. It took him a moment to process that this was one of the men from Yotsuba, whose eyes were glazed.

_Oh no..._

And in moments the police below them and countless Yotsuba employees were amassed into an army, with Higuchi flying above and laughing,

"Even if you are Shinigami, how are you going to fight back against this?" 

"It doesn't matter if we kill them," Light whispered reluctantly to L, "If they're under a Shinigami's control, they're going to die the moment Higuchi lets go. I'm just glad the task force didn't..." L cringed at the idea, using part of his energy to create a forcefield around the area they were in, but already he could tell it was going to take a lot out of him to keep that up. Then he shapeshifted and created claws only made more deadly by his armor, and he closed his eyes as he added electricity into the mix and went for the kill.

"Go for Higuchi!" Ryuk called to Light as L released an explosion from his body, taking out over a dozen of their opponents, and Light nodded, "Take out the puppet master!

"Got it!" Light launched upwards as a speck of blood from the carnage below him landed on his cheek. He had to fight back the tears threatening to spill over at all the death happening around him, but used that to strengthen his fire, chasing after Higuchi, who he could already tell was growing tired even with the enhancements. If Light could get him to break control over these people, they would still die, but at least they wouldn't be opponents anymore... but that might lead to more...

After a moment of swerving, Rem decided to join in and shoved Higuchi in the direction of Light, who managed to launch a fireball at his hand, which worked well enough that it broke the control over roughly half of the puppets.

Ryuk panted, trying to wrestle control from Higuchi, which took more effort than he had expected. But once he finally succeeded, he knew he had to rest, but he honed in on someone else who would be easy to get ahold of. Soon he had about a dozen people under his control to fight the puppets, while remaining invisible so the puppets wouldn't attack him, and L was flying up to Light.

L could already tell as he noticed more puppets arriving from around the city that he had used too much power too fast. He saw his amulet was glowing and getting uncomfortably hot in his armor. He didn't know what that meant, just that it wasn't good as he dropped the forcefield once they started pounding on it and weakening him. He really needed to practice using this much power at once, and he decided to play dirty and began using blood manipulation and straight-up lightning out of his fingertips, and manipulating the river not far away to call upon the water, conducting the electricity to destroy them. 

When he looked up, he saw Higuchi had blasters. L wasn't sure what was in it, whether something meant for tranquilization or killing, but Light was avoiding it regardless and holding his own but was needing to use a lot of his energy to keep back the growing horde.

The problem was that while not all of the attackers could fly, many of them had Traits that were firing things at them or were using telekinesis to carry the deadlier ones. It was proof of how teamwork could screw someone over. 

L saw Light was getting tired, which meant he could start burning out soon. He sent a slight breeze to Light to cool him off, and then he got an idea. It was risky, but he might be able to save the people who hadn't been slaughtered. So many lives lost to this greedy man... L had no regrets about what he was about to do as he shouted to Light, "Light, do it!" 

Light nodded at having been given the okay and conjured flames to not only create shields but function as a whole cage against Higuchi. He slowly pushed the fire closer to damage the collar around Higuchi's neck until soon it would likely char and burn him alive slowly and painfully. 

But that wasn't enough as L forced himself into Higuchi's mind, tearing it to shreds. His goal was to force the Shinigami Trait into dormant and simultaneously send his healing to all the alive victims, slowly disconnecting them safely so these people could return to their lives.

As he continued his assault on Higuchi's mind under not even the greatest healers could salvage a thing, and the body was a mere charred husk, L heard someone screaming for him. It was then that he felt a spasm of the worst pain he had ever experienced, starting in his head and spreading to his entire body. He wasn't sure if he was screaming or not as he looked down...

And saw the amulet had shattered. 

...

Light had seen the exact moment L's amulet exploded out of his armor, no longer able to handle the amount of power L was currently using so fast. All those Traits without use was one thing, but to be using so many at once without preparation...

He didn't know what possessed him to do it. Still, when he heard L's bloodcurdling, agonized cry, it felt as though something primal had taken over, throwing off one of his gloves, pulling out a knife from his belt and slitting his palm, catching L gently and doing the same to him, clasping their bloody palms together. Light let himself take some of L's power to help him handle it until he could get help.

What Light didn't expect for his own flames to get excited, joined with L in such a pure way as he realized he and L were carranam, and he was able to handle L's abilities for even a second. They still had to be careful, or it could become deadly, but they really were compatible.

He didn't see below him as Ryuk was helping those who L had saved, he didn't notice the countless slain, nor did he notice Rem going down to check on Ryuk, or the task force arriving. Everything he needed right now was the pleasant humming between his bond with L.

That is... until L's healing pushed itself into Light too through their blood, and Light was rushed with memories he had long since lost hope of regaining. Of everything, of Kira, of who L was supposed to be to him versus who L actually was. 

So here he was, remembering who he was, that he was Kira... but he still felt fear for L, and he saw all the death so far below them and recalled what L had told him.

_This—This is all my fault..._

Despair washed over him where relief should have been. He slowly opened his eyes, realizing with growing horror that he had become so relaxed and trapped in his own mind that he hadn't noticed until now the horrific pain his body was in, as though he was burning alive. He watched as his hands cooked and charred, turning as black as his Tell would reveal, but it never spread past his forearms, for every time it did, L's healing would heal it over, leaving nasty scars and an excruciating process.

And yet... maybe it was the burnout talking, or his despair at realizing he was the one who may have broken the world, but he felt no concern over the thought of his imminent death, nor did he even hear L whimpering his name in a plea.

He also didn't realize he was plummeting towards the ground, his eyes drifting closed and letting sleep or perhaps death claim him, his only thought making sure L was safe, holding him close to shield him from harm...


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercy? Do I know what that is? Ha ha! Nope!

"There!" Matsuda shouted, seeing Light falling to the ground, and Aizawa controlled the shadows around him to grab both Light and L, lowering them to the ground as the task force rushed to tend to their injuries. It was barely a glance before they saw the state Light was in as he held L protectively as the young man in question whimpered with his eyes squeezed shut.

Light was gasping as the flames wrapped around his entire body slowly flickered out, but Matsuda knew from a glance that the young pyromancer was still burning inside. 

"Breathe, breathe," he begged, trying to keep Light from burning away like they all knew very well could happen with burnout as strong as this one.

Light was sobbing now, shaking where he lay, his grip having fallen slack on L, who was being cradled in Mogi's arms. 

Taking a deep breath, Matsuda used one hand to call Watari, noticing the WiFi signal was not strong, so he didn't even know he could do this successfully. Before teleporting, he gesturing for Mogi to place L next to Light, and he managed to touch them both, hissing above as he did so. The heat radiating off Light's skin _burned._

But he knew that Light needed cold water now, and it was clear L's amulet had shattered, meaning he didn't have long.

Watari was on the other end of the line, and Matsuda tried as hard as he could to make his Trait work. He screamed with pure frustration and trying to make his body and his power work for him at the moment he needed it most, even though the cellular tower had been knocked over in this fight.

"Light!" He heard Ryuk shout, but he was too focused on what he was doing to process where Light's twin was. 

The rest of the task force recoiled as Matsuda's entire body took a pink glow, and he vanished into the phone, which soon disappeared with him and the bodies of both Light and L.

Landing in headquarters, Matsuda's cry became one of pain, but it died out quickly as he felt consciousness ebbing away from pushing his Trait far past what it should generally be able. With that signal, he shouldn't even be able to bring tapes with him, but two people...

He felt someone shaking him, "Matsuda, wake up." He opened his eyes, noticing the blur, and Watari was there, with Light and L both floating next to him thanks to telekinesis. "I need you to do one more thing so I can help them." 

"Hm?" He stood up, leaning against the wall, and relaxed when Watari handed him a MiFi—portable little block of WiFi—to recharge. "Oh, yeah," he looked up once he had gotten back to awareness. In the mirror, on the other end of the wall, he noticed that his eyes were still magenta, which they usually only were when he was actively using his Trait. That couldn't be good. "What do you need?" 

Watari handed Matsuda a phone and a photo of three children, "If you can, I need you to bring these three children from England to here. Their Traits, especially of Near and Mello, are crucial in saving Light and L's lives." He then rushed off, and Matsuda's eyes were wide at the active call on the phone. Three kids... from England... to here? 

He loved having such an important task, feeling crucial in the task force, but what if he couldn't do it? Light and L's lives depended on him being able to do this! What if he couldn't...

He heard an agonized, bloodcurdling scream from L's throat down the hall, and that made him confident that he had to try. 

The MiFi made traveling manageable, but he felt as though someone had punched him in the gut and knocked the wind out of him by the time he had fully materialized. He found himself in the office of an unfamiliar man, and while he tried to get his breath back, he handed the man the photo, which led to three children—Near, Mello, and Matt—being called down.

All three children rushed in, with the youngest, a boy with white hair and ice-blue eyes, being slightly slower than the older two.

The blonde child was the most worried, "Roger, what's going on?" His brow furrowed at Matsuda, "Who's he?" 

Matsuda managed to get out words, "I'm Matsuda... It's L... he's hurt. Really hurt. And our friend, Light, has burned out. Watari said you guys can help. I can get you there." And suddenly all three children were clinging to him, 

"Take us to him," the redhead said, looking into Matsuda's eyes, and Matsuda noticed there was a slight glow to the boy's green eyes.

Mail Jeevas, aka Matt. Trait — Worm Virus. Matt can duplicate small portions of his consciousness into computers and any type of technology to hack and play around with it. The downside of Matt's Trait is he slowly loses control of his own body, the more duplication of himself he sends until his consciousness is entirely within a computer, leaving his body dissociating. There are also little 0's and 1's glazing over his eyes while he dissociates.

Matsuda teleported with the kids, knees giving out under him from exhaustion, and he crumpled into a heap on the ground, only to be pulled up by Mello, "Don't pass out yet, where is he?!" 

Another scream from down the hall and Matsuda found himself being dragged along, too sore and exhausted to protest as the kids pulled him, searching for their ailing mentor.

...

Near chased after Mello and Matt, pulling along the man who had brought them here and was clearly pushing himself too far.

It didn't take long to find the medical room, and the scene before them brought horror and pause to all three kids. They didn't typically work together, but when L was in danger, they would do anything to help him. Matt helped Mr. Matsuda lay down, to perhaps make his eyes return to normal, and the blue glowing from his veins die down.

Mello ran over to help L since his Trait was better suited for that. Near walked to whom he instantly recognized as Light Yagami, who was stripped down to his boxers, severely burned, and floating above a boiling tub.

"Near," Watari shouted from where he was trying to keep a writing L still, "You need to cool him down, or he will die!" 

Nate River, aka Near. Trait — Cryokinesis. Near possesses the ability to freeze molecules and particles around him, allowing him to create ice from his body. He can freeze objects down to the atomic level, weakening their structural stability, or can cover an item in ice, creating a defensive layer around said object. He can fire it off like a pulse beam, or apply it by hand. Overuse of this power will give Near frostbite.

Near froze the boiling water, and Watari lowered Light back onto it, his flames melting it almost instantly, even as he continued to freeze it. He had read about burnouts before, and he knew what to do here, even if it was incredibly frightening to do so, practically locked in a battle with someone much more experienced but also at a loss of control as the flames raged on.

He knelt at the front of the tub, his knees on a stool, his small hands hovering a few inches away from Light's head, slowly manipulating the ice. "Breathe," he urged, "Let it out—let it out of you."

Light took a shuddering breath, his eyes opening slightly, and they were gold and orange like embers. Near laced his hands with ice and brushed the sweat-soaked bangs out of Light's face, focusing as much as he could on the task at hand and not the fearful people around them and L's pained cries which were getting weaker.

He continued to freeze the water, and Light's wild fire Trait melted it, battling each other fiercely. Near smirked a little as he felt the flames start to slow and tire until eventually the water was lukewarm and stayed that way. Light had fallen asleep, but he wasn't roasting alive anymore, even though his charred and blackened hands required immediate medical attention.

...

"MY HEAD! MY HEAD!" L's eyes flew open, bloodshot and empty. Mello tried to keep his mentor still so Watari could stabilize him. A second amulet had exploded upon contact with L's skin, both because this one was weaker and also L's Traits were going haywire at the moment, and it was too much to contain.

With great nervousness, Mello used a little of his own Trait, hoping L's copy wouldn't suck him of everything he had.

Miheal Keehl, aka Mello. Trait — Battery. Mello possesses the ability to manipulate the lifeforce of himself and others in a method like charging and draining a battery. For example, he can kill someone by taking all they have, strengthening himself immensely. Or he could give away some of his own lifeforce to heal others. He cannot resurrect the dead without having taken someone else's lifeforce first; otherwise, he will die. He can only use this Trait if he can see his target's face, as he can see the names of potential targets when focusing on them.

As L continued to cry and writhe, clearly getting weaker, Mello looked around the room at the new arrivals, looking for the most alive person who wouldn't miss a little lifeforce—not that it mattered, it replenished in people if he was careful. He shaved a little off the men called Aizawa, Aiber, and Mogi, taking it for himself and giving it to L, to give him a boost. 

"Light... Light..." L whimpered, and Mello looked over to where Near had gotten Yagami's burnout under control, and he was being cared for by who Mello assumed by the resemblance was his father.

"Matt!" Watari called from where Matt was playing nurse with Ryuuku and Matsuda, "I need you to help hold L down!" Matt let a woman called Rem take his place alongside Naomi, and came over, helping Mello keep L down.... only to see L was limp.

"L?" Mello whispered, and then a flatline filled the room. But Watari was not going to give up so easily, pulling out a defibrillator and zapping L's bare chest, which brought him back.

"What was that?" Matt asked, gripping L's arms as Watari filled up a needle with something,

"It appears he is in so much pain his heart momentarily gave out. Mello... I know this is risky, but he may need more..."

"On it." Mello didn't want to risk taking from others who were tending to the injured, so he gave a little of his own, as much as he could without feeling it too severely. L and Matt, the only people he would even consider risking himself for. 

He looked up and saw the numbers in Matt's eyes. He was here enough to keep L still, but he wouldn't be able to hear anyone. 

L was breathing, but he was still unnervingly still. Mello knew his mentor was in a great deal of pain, and his mind was on the brink of shattering; only the boosts kept him from being dead or catatonic, but it still worried him.

As L began seizing, Mello decided he really needed to give up on anything going right. They couldn't hold him down, or he would hurt himself, so Watari picked him up with telekinesis so he didn't fall off the table or smack something he shouldn't.

Matt snapped back to reality, looking to where L was being moved to a bed for an injection, only for L to teleport in a puff of black smoke onto Light's bed. It was then that Mello noticed the deep gash on both of the two's palm—it was hard to tell on Yagami with how horrendously burned his hands were.

"Holy shit..."

"Language, Mello," Watari chastized, and Mello was still gaping as L managed to relax and pass out—though, with the number of drugs which had been pumped into him, that might be the reason he was out cold right now.

Matt came rushing back in with something, "Okay! I did a ton of research and lots of government hacking, and added onto Watari's own research, this," he gestured to a little chip, "Should connect to L's brainwaves and trick his brain into not shattering. He'll still have to be extremely careful with his Traits, but this should hold him over until Watari can make a stronger amulet." 

"How did you manage to make that in ten minutes?" Near asked, and Matt shrugged,

"You forget I can make it so my brain is literally a computer, it makes me work faster." He placed the chip on the back on L's neck, connecting it to his nervous system. Watari then gave him an injection of clear liquid into the muscle of his arm.

"What's that?" Ryuuku asked, and Watari looked up,

"Five grams of magnesium," Watari explained, "It helps with seizures, typically with eclampsia in pregnancy, but I found when I first met L that this helped him. Hopefully, the drowsiness will make him rest so he can get better. It's going to take time before I can make an amulet stronger than the old one, and while Matt's chip was made fast, it's also a very short term solution and will likely need to be replaced constantly."

"Lovely." Ryuuku groaned, "So can we move the two lovebirds into a different room? It's getting a little crowded in here, what with Matsuda being unnervingly profoundly asleep and the fact I, oh, you know, got shot in the shoulder." He gestured to his shoulder, and Mello gaped at how the armor had been torn through. How was he even conscious? Adrenaline, Mello supposed, but he didn't particularly care, so he decided to set on the mission of moving L with the help of his fellow successors. He could already tell L was going to keep teleporting to Yagami—apparently his carranam—so obviously they had to take the pyromancer with him.

The three kids picked up the sheets supporting the two men and walked down the hall with Naomi helping with the fourth corner, helping get them into clearly L's bedroom, but then Mello noticed other clothes in the closet. 

"Holy crap," Matt stared around the room as the others got Yagami and L situated on the bed, and Naomi brought machines in to monitor the two, "Does L have a boyfriend, and he didn't tell us?!" He paused, "No. Firebringer went comatose months ago, and L's probably making sure he's not going to collapse again. Well," he shrugged, "I mean, maybe." 

"Perhaps it would be wise to not concern ourselves with L's love life," Near said from where he was chilling some bottled water in his hand, "And focus on the task at hand of keeping the two of them alive."

Mello groaned, not liking the idea of following Near's advice, but he did know the younger of them was correct, and L did need their help. Nobody had bothered to explain how this had happened—they were from England, and the situation was in Japan, they had no idea what was happening. What could have made L actually fight? Was it Kira?

For L, sweets always made him better. He snapped in the direction of Matt, "Matt, can you find some cake recipes?" Matt nodded, and Mello went searching for the kitchen, dragging the partially dissociating Matt along. 

...

Ryuk winced as his father finally went about cleaning his injury. Rem had been trying but had fled the second Wedy had been asked to make sure Misa hadn't escaped. He understood why Rem wanted to see her sister, but he did hate that he had been left to bleed. He also understood Light burning out as severely as he did meant he was of higher priority.

He looked down at the wound in his shoulder and again wondered how he wasn't unconscious, as his father finished cleaning it and started stitching up his back. He whimpered softly before hearing his father's soft assurances,

"You're doing so well, just hang on for a little longer. I'm almost done with this part."

"I would think... a gunshot would be treated... by a doctor." He couldn't see his father's face, but he knew there was a nod in response.

"I know. You're incredibly lucky for this Trait, Ryuuku. Shinigami are much more resilient to injuries such as these ones. You do need extreme medical attention, but at the moment, making sure you don't bleed out will work well enough." There was a slight tremor in his father's voice at his next words, "I've seen officers far more experienced than you, taken down by injuries like these."

"I'm sure it's okay, Dad, I don't even really feel it. I know you want to check on Light. I can wait for Watari to stitch me up."

"No. Your brother is being tended to, and someone needs to stay with you, to keep you conscious." 

"So, I can't just take a nap?" 

"No. No, you cannot." Ryuk pouted because he did feel drowsy after fighting for his life. And then his father softened, "Who shot you?"

"No clue. I had gotten startled by seeing Light falling, and I ended up visible for a moment. If I had to guess, someone with a Wind Trait either helped or was the one to fire the gun." And then he saw the rage in his father's eyes, and Ryuk backed away slowly,

"L had freed everyone by the time Light burned out. Someone _shot you_ of their own free will." Ryuk just shrugged with his good shoulder,

"Meh. It wasn't Light, so I don't see why you'd care." His vision started blurring, and he slumped forward, his head on his father's shoulder and messy dark locks falling in his face. He was just tired and wanted to sleep, any pain a distant thought as his vision continued to blur.

"Ryuuku—" his father started, pausing, much quieter and scared now, "Ryuuku?"

"Dad...? 'm tired." Had someone said something bad about sleeping? Hm... sleeping in class was bad... yeah, that had to be it.

_"Ryuuku! No, stay awake! Watari, Ryuuku need help!"_

Unable to fight against his drooping eyelids anymore, Ryuk let himself drift to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Mello came back into the medical room while the cake was baking, to ask Watari if there were any other medicines they could use to help L. He had not expected to see Mr. Yagami screaming for help, with his second son slumped against his shoulder, seeming to have just passed out.

"Healer," he turned when he noticed the chief calling in his direction, "My son needs help!"

"Healer?" Mello whispered, his left eye twitching, looking down at his hands as his eyes widened, flashing back to his childhood—of his parents more or less pimping him and his Trait for their own gain until he was on the brink of death. Rage coursed through his veins, clenching his fists and about to scream that he was _not_ a healer, but then he noticed the sheer pain in the older man's eyes, pleading with him.

He could sense Ryuuku slipping away quickly, and while he had no plans of risking himself in the slightest, he felt uneasy seeing that pain in Mr. Yagami's eyes. He huffed, "I am not a healer—all I can do is keep him alive, but I will have to take from your own lifeforce."

"Yes, fine, do it, just save him!" Mello paused, not expecting such a response, but he transferred some of Soichiro's lifeforce to Ryuuku, then called for Watari to get over here and adequately treat the admittedly nasty bullet wound, and he stormed out of the room.

Why? Why did it have to be him? Everyone else he had met had personalities that worked well with their Traits, or maybe they were intentionally given a Trait that meshed well with them by whatever God had given them their powers. But not him. Perhaps it was because of what his parents had done, but no, he hated this power.

He could take lives and strengthen himself far past what his physical form would suggest, but all he would be known as was a healer. That simply wouldn't do if he was going to be the successor to the most powerful person on Earth.

He punched the wall to try hiding the sob threatening to rip out, and he noticed his knuckles split for a second before healing over, due to the excess lifeforce he had had after treating Ryuuku.

He felt Matt hugging him, "Hey, Mel, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He muttered, knowing full well that Matt saw right through that.

"The cake's out of the oven if you want to help me with that to distract yourself." Mello turned and saw Matt was mostly here and was also holding his hand. He had noticed Matt was much closer to him when he was semi-dissociating, as though he lost any anxiety he had ever had. Despite himself, Mello smiled a little, letting Matt guide him to the kitchen, and both were surprised to see Near was here too, chilling the cake which had just come out of the oven, so it was able to be frosted now.

"L's awake," Near said, "Not lucid, but he's awake. Naomi's in there with him while I came to get something for him to eat. It smells good." He smiled, but Mello cringed at the compliment from his rival, who was so damn lucky to have a Trait he could use without loathing.

"Thanks," Matt came over, moving to take the frosting out of the fridge, only to see Near had already taken it out and chilled it. Mello huffed. Bastard could do menial tasks too with his Trait.

"You two have fun with that. I'm going to check on L." He walked upstairs and saw L had passed out again, and seemed to have thrown up if Naomi in the bathroom washing the bucket had any say in the matter.

He walked over to L's side, seeing he was still fragile, but he wasn't on the brink of death anymore. He still found himself holding L's bandaged hand,

"You gotta get better, L," he pleaded, seeing the sweat sheen on L's brow and how cold his fingers were. He noticed Yagami was still unconscious, but he had an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, probably due to wheezing since he had been roasting his internal organs as well.

He closed his eyes, clutching his rosary in his other hand and praying for L to recover.

Naomi came over, "I take it that you're one of L's successors." 

Mello paused for a moment, before nodding, "Yeah. He needs to be okay. He—He's L, so he has to be! Watari will fix the amulet, and—and he'll be okay. He promised that he would come home safe and sound after capturing Kira."

"Nobody could have predicted this would happen, and I'm sure he will be alright given time to rest." 

"Yeah, you're probably right." He wiped away his tears threatening to spill over, not letting himself be vulnerable around this stranger. He then noticed Matt and Near coming in, and he sighed. Matt had always been Mello's best friend, but he had never had any problem with Near, either. He was, in a way, the middle ground between them. Maybe if Near wasn't his rival for being number one, then things could be different, but that was a reality that would never come to pass.

"Is he asleep again?" Near asked, but then L stirred and opened his eyes,

"No," L rasped, "Not yet." He smiled a tiny bit through half-lidded eyes at the kids, "Thanks, kids." He tried to reach for the cake, using telekinesis, but he gasped and clutched his head, whimpering in pain. Naomi helped him sit up a bit,

"I'll feed you, but you can't be using your Traits at the moment." L just stared, reaching towards the cake which Matt handed to Naomi, who began to slowly spoonfeed L. Mello was unable to watch the pitiful display and walked towards the window, eyes widened as he saw the damage done to parts of the city and the people below cleaning up bodies. His hand flew over his mouth. What had...

Matt came over, "What happened here?"

"I don't know." Mello looked towards L, shaking with rage, "Is whatever happened out there what did this L?!"

"I don't know, Mello." Matt said, "We'll ask questions later, but right now, I think you need to sit down." Mello would snap at anyone else who wasn't Matt, but seeing as this was his best friend, he did sit down, not realizing how tired he was until he did so because he was immediately passed out upon relaxing.

OoOoO

Soichiro watched as Watari did what he could, using potions and medical treatment to heal Ryuuku. His stomach was in knots, knowing both of his sons were in critical condition, and he hadn't had time to call Sachiko to make sure she and Sayu were alright.

Someone had shot his son, and that was something he could never forgive, wanting to find whoever did it and make them pay. But that wasn't what Ryuuku needed right now.

_"Meh. It wasn't Light, so I don't see why you'd care."_

His son's words sent chills up his spine—how resigned it had sounded, as though Ryuuku had known for a long time. Added onto the things they had seen the twins discuss while the cameras were in...

It wasn't that he loved one of his sons over the other. He connected with Light so much better than he did Ryuuku—he just didn't know what to do with the free spirit that was Ryuuku, who didn't care about his grades and just went with the flow.

Had he really given the impression that he actually preferred Light? Looking back, he realized to his growing horror that he had. What was he supposed to do to set things right if he didn't even know how to communicate with Ryuuku?

"He needs rest," Watari said after a few minutes, and Soichiro was sickened by the number of stitches in Ryukku's shoulder, which had been torn up by the bullet. "As long as he doesn't strain himself and rests, he should be able to mostly recover."

"M-Mostly?" 

Watari sighed, "The bullet damaged the muscles and the scapula. I suspect there will be a struggle moving his arm for a long time. We can move him to his bedroom so he can be in comfort while he rests. If you can carry him while I tend to Matsuda—"

"Of course." Soichiro, with the utmost care, scooped Ryuuku into his arms, carrying him slowly to make sure not to jar him. Ryuuku whimpered, and Soichiro used his hand to support Ryuuku's head.

He rested Ryuuku onto the bed, and then slipped him out of his dirty sweatpants and changed him into clean ones, and tucked him into bed, where he was still passed out.

Part of him wanted to check on Light, but he knew Light was in good hands, and he would hear about it if that changed. He needed to stay by Ryuuku's side and assure him that he really was loved.

The door was thrown open, and Misa ran in, "I heard my beloved Ryuk was hurt!" she wailed, throwing herself over Ryuuku's torso. Even in the depths of unconsciousness, Ryuuku let out a weak scream from the sudden pressure and pain, which managed to rouse him a bit, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out again. At the same time, Soichiro tore the insufferable brat off of his son.

For the life of him, he still couldn't figure out how she had gone from borderline ready to rape Light to head over heels for Ryuuku. She was unstable, and he didn't want her involved in the lives of his children.

"Get away from him!" Soichiro roared, and Misa glared, but then yelped as her collar glowed brightly, which meant she had tried to use her Trait against him. 

Rem came in, "Misa, Ryuk needs to rest."

"But surely he'll get better with his true love by his side!" Misa whined, and Soichiro was consciously fighting the urge to use his Trait to shove her through the walls.

"Misa," Rem tried, but Soichiro noticed that even she seemed to be at her wit's end, "Ryuk needs to sleep, and he would feel better with his father by his side. Family is the most important."

"But if I was hurt, I would want Ryuk by my side!"

"Misa..." Rem gave a long-suffering sigh, "Just trust me."

"But—"

"Get out." Soichiro finally lost it, standing up and glaring, "Ryuuku doesn't love you—and even if he does, I will not permit a relationship with you, nor will I ever. Now, if you could please leave, I need to tend to my injured son, and you are getting in the way of him recovering." 

Misa began to sob, "You mean he was just using me?! No! That's just what you say! Ryuk and I are in love, and we'll get married whether you approve it or not!" Rem hugged Misa and dragged her out of the room.

"I apologize, sir," Rem said, "For the disturbance. I tried to stop her from coming." Soichiro just nodded, and once the girls were gone, he locked the door, before going back to sit at Ryuuku's side.

After a moment, Ryuuku opened his bleary eyes, his words soft and slightly slurred, "Is she gone?" Soichiro teared up with relief, seeing Ryuuku was awake, even if the healer had needed to take away some of his own lifeforce to save Ryuuku. It was a small price to pay for his son to survive.

"Yeah, she's gone. Are you in pain?" Ryuuku nodded a little,

"My shoulder hurts." He whispered, "Why does my shoulder hurt?" Was he loopy from the drugs Watari had used to pull him out of critical condition? Why wouldn't he remember?

"You got hurt."

"Wha' about Light? He got hurt." He blinked, "Why aren't you with him?" Soichiro shook his head, running his hands through Ryuuku's sweat-soaked hair,

"Light's in good hands, and I'm not leaving you, Ryuuku."

"Why?"

Soichiro's heart broke a little, "Because I love you, son." He grabbed a bottle of water and poured some into Ryuuku's mouth for him to drink, and he kissed Ryuuku's forehead, "Get some sleep—you need rest."

Ryuuku smiled a little, and he did fall back asleep almost immediately.

Soichiro stayed with him all night.


	25. Chapter 25

The first time Light woke up, all he could process was the burning in his entire body, making it agonizing to even think, so he merely passed out again.

The second time he woke up, he felt unusually cold and sore. For some reason, he found he couldn't move his hands, and there was an unusual weight on his body... oddly soft. He blearily opened his eyes and saw L had moved and had wrapped his body around him.

Light's eyes widened considerably, wondering if his current inability to breathe came from the leg against his chest or the fact the guy he was crushing on hard was wrapped around him in nothing more than a short-sleeved shirt and some boxers.

"N-No, stop..." L mumbled in his sleep, "You're tickling me...!"

He knew that he had more important things to think about, but the dumbstruck teenage part of him could only think, _"Sweet."_ But alas, this lack of air into his lungs was an issue, so he ended up forcing out, "L, I can't breathe!"

"Nghhh... n-no, you can't... don't move around..." L clung to him tighter, but after a moment, he seemed to come back to reality, his quicksilver eyes slowly opening, "H-Huh? AH! Light-Kun?!"

"You're smothering me." Light gasped, "I'm not complaining, just saying." L seemed to finally comprehend what was going on,

"Light-Kun, can you hear me? Get ahold of yourself!"

L finally got off him, grabbed his shoulders, and began shaking him intensely before letting out a small scream and falling next to Light and clutching his head. It was then that Light noticed the glowing chip connected to the back of L's neck and the heavy bandaging on both of Light's own hands. 

There was also bandage wrapping on L's hand, where Light had sliced it open to attempt carranam.

Then it hit him, the memories that he was actually Kira. But he couldn't panic about the realization that countless people had died because of him, because L was holding his head as though he was hurt. "L, are you okay?"

L took deep breaths, clawing at the back of his neck where the chip was, "My...My head..." Light's eyes widened, remembering that L's amulet had shattered. And judging by the soreness and the bandaging along his arms, he was in the throes of burnout and a nasty one at that.

He looked down at L as he whimpered in pain, clawing at the chip as though trying to rip it out. But Light was sure it wasn't in to hurt him, so he forced himself to move L's hands away from the chip, "I'm sure the chip is there to help you since the amulet shattered."

 _"And whose fault is that?"_ A voice in the back of his head taunted him, _"Oh, right, it was yours for becoming a vigilante and starting a war. You said you loved L? You're responsible for his suffering."_

He felt uneasy and guilt threatening to consume him, knowing he needed to pay for his crimes... but that selfish part of him didn't want to say anything so L wouldn't hate him. All he could do was hope the damage wasn't as bad as Ryuk had predicted and pulled L close, ignoring the pain in his heavily bandaged hands, which he could barely move.

"Hey, I'm right here," he soothed the suffering detective, who slowly began to either nod off or pass out—was there a difference? He felt in a situation where L had been on the brink however long ago the fight had been, there was one.

"What are you two doing?"

They both looked up, and Light saw three children staring at them. The little white-haired one seemed familiar, and it took a moment to figure out why, before quickly sensing the boy had an ice-based Trait and had been the one in charge of cooling him down. 

"Oh.. nothing..." L sat up a bit, "Please don't get the wrong idea."

The blonde cocked his head with a mischievous grin on his face, "Get the wrong idea? That's what we always do. Were you guys sleeping together?"

"Hey, you're the ones who put us in a bed together." Light snapped, and the redhead laughed a bit,

"He's got you there, Mel."

The white-haired boy sat next to L, "Are you doing any better?" L shrugged,

"I'm not dying, so I suppose that's a plus." Light looked to the three youths,

"Are these your little brothers you mentioned?" L nodded,

"Yup. These are Near, Mello, and Matt. Actually, fuck it, Ryuk's gonna tell you their names anyway. Nate, Miheal, and Mail."

"I prefer Matt," Matt replied, "The spelling versus pronunciation of my name bothers me deeply." 

Light tensed because L had just trusted the original Kira with the names of his little brothers. He did have a point that there was a high chance Ryuk would just tell him.

Ryuk... Ryuk had known the whole time and kept the secret. Why? Probably because it wouldn't be interesting if Light got locked up, and the only reason to ever reveal it was to be an ass. He still wanted to talk to his brother about this. But he wouldn't deny that he was more than happy to leave Ryuk to deal with Misa. He wouldn't let his twin get actually raped or hurt, but he also wasn't going to take Misa back.

Maybe he should confide in L that he remembered everything from the last year, though. But once the kids were gone. Speaking of said kids, they were tending to L and bringing him anything he needed, and Matt had unwrapped Light's hands, and he was shocked and horrified by what he saw.

Charred and blackened skin, much like his Tell when using his Shinigami Trait, except this was clearly caused by his hands being horribly burned. That burnout had been worse than Light had anticipated, but he should have expected it since he had willingly taken on L's haywire Traits. But that did explain why he couldn't move them,

"With treatment," Matt's eyes were glowing green just a bit, with little 1s and 0s in his irises too. His voice was almost robotic as he spoke, rewrapping Light's hands, "Your wounds will heal, but I strongly advise the use of your Traits be at a minimum. I can suggest some creams if necessary."

"A computer-based Trait?" Light asked L, who nodded, but Near was the one who spoke up,

"Correct. Matt can transfer his consciousness into computers, I have power over ice, and Mello has Battery." Battery... Light perked up, remembering his research on that one,

"Battery is the Trait where you can take the lifeforce of others for yourself, which can give you boosts in combat, and sometimes even temporary use of that person's Trait if you take enough, right?"

Mello's eyes lit up, "You're my third favorite person. Finally, someone who doesn't call me a healer!" He looked to L, dancing a little bit with glee, "L, we have to keep him!" L rolled his eyes, and Light hid his pain, knowing that they wouldn't think so highly of him if they knew the truth.

"So how long have we been out?" Light asked, and Near twirled a strand of his hair while Mello helped Matt sit down,

"You both have woken up multiple times, but you especially Yagami-Kun have been borderline comatose for a week, due to the damage to your internal organs from the burnout. We had to stabilize you and then get you into surgery as soon as we could."

"So that's why I feel like roadkill," Light muttered, and Near shrugged,

"Or it could be the damage to your hands. All the effort was focused on treating any infections and making sure you could breathe. Healing your hands comes secondary and will be easier now that you're awake, and you should be able to move around as you please in moderation."

"Alright then," L got up, only to be caught as he doubled over by Mello,

"No, Near said that Light could. Not you. _You_ need to be on bed rest to not strain yourself."

"I'm fine," L insisted, but it was apparent he wasn't.

"You might be fine now," Matt slowly came back to reality, "But headquarters is in chaos, and the noise will have you doubling over. Watari is working as fast as he can on a new amulet for you."

L pouted, and Light made a choice, smiling to L, "I'm going to go check on my family, and I'll be back to spend time with you, okay?" L crossed his arms, pouting, but he nodded. Matt came over to L's side,

"I want to try some new tricks and update your chip," Matt said, "Hopefully, I can get you to not feel it. Maybe if I play my cards right, I can use it as a long-term replacement for the amulet."

"And if it shatters, it'll take L's head off?" Mello asked semi-jokingly, "Maybe we should find an alternative." Light shuddered at the very idea, but L just giggled good-naturedly, and it was honestly an adorable sound, before needing to lay down again.

Light got up, fumbling a bit like a newborn fawn and struggling to his feet, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. But he got a look at the world outside, eyes wide at the destroyed buildings and the riots. What the hell had happened in the last week?!

He walked out of the bedroom, but opening doors proved to be a challenge without his hands, so he had to fly with his wings and use his feet to open the doors, which was much easier said than done.

The main room of headquarters, as promised, was a disaster area. There were phones and computers everywhere. Misa was screaming and complaining to his Dad; Rem was trying to keep Misa under control, and Aizawa looked about ready to throw Misa out a window. Officer Ide was here for some reason; Matsuda was inexplicably glowing, and screens were showing the chaos outside.

"What the hell happened here?!" Light asked, and Misa ran over,

"Light! Your Dad's not letting me see my beloved Ryuk! Come on, can't you talk to him?"

"Wait, what happened to Ryuk?!" He was crushed in a hug by his father,

"I'm so glad you're awake, son. How are you feeling?"

"Like roadkill, and I can't use my hands. How about you? And what about Ryuk? Why is Matsuda glowing?"

"For starters," his father sat him down, "I am fine. Matsuda is glowing because he somehow broke his Trait and seems to have literally damaged the chemicals in his brain—Watari is working on remedying that. As for Ryuk..." he tensed, "He got shot. It's bad, Light. He's awake, but extremely out of it due to all the pain medications. But Misa," he glared at Misa, "Always manages to make it worse." Misa stomped her foot down, shrieking,

"I want to see Ryuk right now!"

"Can we please put her back in jail?" Light asked, and every single person on the task force except Rem made sounds of agreement. Rem was the only person who tried to protest,

"She helped you with the case in exchange for a pardon."

"I'm sure we could have gotten everything done on our own," Aizawa snarked, "Probably faster if she hadn't been shrieking our ears off." He used one of his shadows to cover Misa's mouth, "Shh, be quiet." 

"Rem, why can't you guys just leave?" Light offered, "If Misa's pardoned, nothing is keeping her here."

"Ryuk." Rem replied with a long-suffering groan, "And the riots mean it's safer to stay here."

"Riots?"

"The killings continued," Matsuda sat down, looking exhausted and downright drained, his eyes magenta and many of his veins glowing blue. "Because of that, people are attacking anyone with a flying Trait for fear of them being Shinigami, and people are trying to abolish the confidentiality law."

Light's eyes widened, his whole body trembling as he thought about how the domino effect of his actions would affect Ryuk and countless others. He felt his Dad's hand on his shoulder,

"Don't worry, Light. We already pulled a ton of strings to ensure that your records show a Flight Trait, so your secret is safe even if they abolish the law."

"That's not the issue!" Light stood up, "Even if that's beneficial for Ryuk and me, what about the countless other Shinigami who are being shunned for something there's a high chance they didn't do! There are thousands if not millions of us, and even more with a Flight Trait who will be attacked wrongly—all because of Kira!"

"I wonder if Kira knew this would happen," Matsuda mused, and Naomi shook her head, 

"I doubt it since I've always gotten the impression that the original Kira was young and naïve, but was genuine in the desire to better the world. But I get where you're coming from, Light. My fiancé, Raye. He's got a Flight Trait, and I've gotten messages from him that life is already hard."

So many things he hadn't thought about. He should have known this would happen because he had been the one to point out that the world was rotten, and human nature was corrupt. He couldn't even blame Ryuk for enabling him, because Ryuk just didn't give a crap and wouldn't have thought about this until the situation got seriously out of hand.

He could confess to being the original, but he found that he was a coward and too selfish and trying to justify it by asking what good would it do now that the world was broken, and this was his chance to make things right. He had to fix what he had done, but how could he mend the damage done over the entire world without ending up with certain Traits being scorned and sending the world back into the time of when humanity had first gotten them.

"Where's Ryuk?" He whispered, and his father softened, letting him know Ryuk was in his room, and the code to get in, and Light went to visit his brother, opening the door and making sure it was locked tight once he was inside. 

He saw Ryuk eating an apple, his shoulder covered in bandages, and he grinned lazily, "Hey, Light! You're up!" His words were a bit slurred, making it clear he wasn't all there, and Light's bottom lip quivered, seeing his brother had gotten hurt, and it was indirectly his fault. He broke down sobbing, running over to Ryuk and nuzzling next to him like when they were kids.

"I remember everything," he whispered, "It's all my fault..."

Ryuk didn't seem to fully understand what was going on at the moment, but he felt Light with is good arm anyway, soothing him and letting him bawl against his chest.

"It's okay..." Ryuk assured him, and Light shook his head, crying harder,

"Nothing—Nothing will ever be okay again."


	26. Chapter 26

Near created a coating of ice on his forearms as he blocked Mello's strengthened blows, seeing the glow in his rival's eyes from taking that excess life force from Near to drain him of all he had, but Near still had a smirk on his face. 

He wasn't going to let Mello win that easily. As powerful as the ability to drain someone was, and how society collectively underestimated it, Mello wasn't tactful enough when he had this charge. He didn't realize it, but it made his movements much wilder and without precision. In fact, Near had only used his Trait to keep his face hidden during this match, the rest parrying Mello until he could get the ideal time to strike.

Keeping his eyes on the battle and not missing a beat, he sidestepped and spun with a dancer's grace behind Mello, which sent him stumbling, and Near grabbed Mello's arm, freezing him into an ice sculpture by utilizing the water in his body.

He yawned, "I win." He grabbed a towel from the far wall and wiped the sweat from his brow as Mello began using the excess lifeforce he had stolen from Near to heal himself.

Mello unfroze completely after about five minutes, and Near made no effort to hide how exhausted he was from that match. Mello groaned, "Great. Now I'm at 217 wins, 312 losses, and 8 draws."

"You mean 207 wins, 323 losses, and 7 draws," Near corrected, and Mello gave him the finger, "Rude." He leaned against the wall of the room, looking out the window that was the far wall, and they could see the city below. He slumped, and Mello came over, placing a hand on Near's shoulder and giving him back some of his life force, even if they had since learned how to replenish.

"It's a purge out there," Mello whispered, looking out at the angry mobs and the arson, and how people were dropping dead. It hadn't even been that long, and the world had gone to hell.

Near scoffed, "They're afraid of those with the Shinigami Trait, and yet most people with that ability are passive. Now every death imaginable is being blamed on them even though dying is a natural part of the human condition, even before Traits became part of humanity."

"It's pretty pathetic." Mello ran his hands through his hair, freeing it from the ponytail, "It makes me almost grateful that everyone thinks I'm a healer." He looked and surveyed the damage, "If I were to leave, I'm sure I could gain power fast. Then you won't stand a chance in our matches."

"I always will," Near replied with a smile, "You still haven't figured out how to channel that raw power once you get it, so you hit hard but not necessarily smart."

Mello stuffed his hands in his pockets, "You're just overpowered because you've managed to read about how to find all the loopholes in your powers."

"Right, you'd have lost an additional hundred times if I had manipulation over water and not just ice and freezing, I suppose."

"Isn't ice just frozen water?"

"You know what I mean."

Both boys turned when they heard the door open, and both were surprised to see L come in, "You've both improved so much since I last saw you spar." 

Mello rushed over to L's side, "L, you can't be using telekinesis to move your wheelchair." L looked up at him tiredly,

"I'm not," he lifted his hand and revealed a control, "Matt designed it."

"Regardless, you shouldn't be up," Near pointed out, "Has Watari fixed the amulet?"

"Not yet," L's hand wandered to the back of his neck, where he started messing with the chip again, but Mello forced him to stop, "I can't be cooped up. I've gotten bored, and Light-Kun's been avoiding me." Mello and Near looked at each other. They both had noticed the nervous energy coming from the young pyromancer, but since they didn't know him personally, they had thought it was normal.

"Maybe he's depressed?" Mello offered, "It can't be easy seeing you like this, and there's newfound oppression of his kind, and his brother and himself were seriously injured."

"I just hope I haven't done anything to upset him," L muttered, slumping. He shivered, and Mello didn't hesitate to run to the closet outside the training room and get him a blanket, "Thank you, Miheal." 

"Get some sleep," Near ordered, "You look exhausted."

"Nate, I always look exhausted." L sighed, "But I guess you're right. I still want to find Light-Kun."

"I'll let him know you're looking," Mello bent down to L's level, "You go get some rest." L smiled a bit, and then vanished in a puff of smoke, causing a small grimace to form on Near's face,

"I thought Matt fixed the random teleporting. Or is he just that stubborn?"

Mello shook his head a bit, "I honestly don't know."

OoOoO

Light wandered the halls of the task force headquarters, trying to clear his head as he thought about everything he had now remembered, about what he had done and his foolish decision that had already led to dozens of Shinigami in Japan alone being ruthlessly slaughtered.

Naomi had already pointed out the issue. The more people fought against the Shinigami, the more likely Shinigami would side with and become their own version of Kira, becoming a bloodbath. The helpless people with simple flight Traits were being attacked too.

But not Light, the true Kira... he had started this, but he had gotten away scot-free due to having connections high up who made sure his records only said he had a flight Trait. But he couldn't reveal it and accept punishment, or that would make everything worse.

No matter what he did, the damage had been done. He supposed that the damage to his hands counted as punishment. Hands that, due to L's healing having gotten involved, had healed wrong in areas so it could take months or even years if ever, to get the full use of his hands back.

Personally, Light felt he didn't deserve to have his powers at all, and maybe it was better than his hands were damaged, possibly beyond repair.

However, it didn't seem he was even lucky to be traitless now, because lately, his fire had begun acting without the use of his hands, such as his hair lighting up out of nowhere as he got more and more distressed. So whether he liked it or not, he needed to find someone who could help him.

He found Aizawa in one of the training rooms and watched Aizawa battling against training bots, wielding a quarterstaff while the shadows around the room were also fighting, even though that wasn't close to his movements.

"Aizawa?" Aizawa looked up and stopped fighting, while his shadows finished up the job.

"Hey, Light, what is it?" 

Light sighed, "I need your help. My flames have been out of control since I stopped using my hands," he looked down at his hands, which were no longer bandaged, but were horribly scarred, and he had his special gloves on to help with the remaining burning feeling from them.

Aizawa softened a bit, "Yeah, that happens. You're going to see changes to your Trait to make up for your injury." He looked at the floor with a haunted look, before snapping back up, "I can help you."

"Thank you, Aizawa. I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not L. I don't want to risk him needing to use his Traits and hurting himself." _I can't hurt anyone more than I already have._

"I get that." He altered the lighting in the room, so it was almost completely dark. Light could still see just fine, except for one thing: Aizawa was completely gone.

"Aizawa?" He looked around, "Where'd you go?"

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as suddenly he felt something to the left of him as though his body was acting completely of its own, and he suddenly saw a bright flash, and he turned, seeing that Aizawa was now visible, as his quarterstaff was on fire. It was quickly put out, and Aizawa turned, brightening the lights,

"Do you know why I just did that?"

"How did you do that?!" Light asked, "You completely disappeared! Your file didn't say anything about being able to do that."

"Just because it's not in my file doesn't mean I'm unable to do it," Aizawa replied, "Besides, I only figured out how to do it in the last few years."

 **Update.** **Shuichi Aizawa's Shadowcharmer Trait:** Aizawa can become nearly invisible in any slight darkness. When keeping to the shade, even vigilant eyes can pass over him, particularly if he holds still or remains silent.

"As I said," Aizawa elaborated, "Injuries change your Trait. Do you really think years on the police force didn't lead to some instances where I'd have to adapt?"

"I suppose you're right," Light shrugged, "But I guess the test was to see my reaction time?"

"Close. I wanted to see how your Duel Trait affects your control. Believe it or not, it's been proven that those with two Traits have better subconscious handling, which would also explain why you were able to hide your Shinigami Trait for eighteen years."

"So, how'd I do?"

"Very well. But now that I know your subconscious handling, it will give me an idea of how to train you to do so consciously."

Light nodded, "Thank you, Aizawa, this really does mean a lot."

Maybe he couldn't avoid using fire, but outside of flying, if he even deserved that, he vowed that he would never use his power of death again.

He needed to fix this mess, and if it meant mastering his flames all over again, then that was fine. The image of his mother and how he had almost killed her with his fire flashed into his mind, and he promised himself that he would never let that happen to L.

He was a monster, this had been proven, but he'd do whatever it took to make sure he never hurt anyone again.


	27. Chapter 27

This was a terrible idea.

Light flew over the city, carrying L in his arms since doing so took more arm power than his actual hands. He hadn't wanted to take L with him, but L found him and asked to join him, and Light only had so many excuses to keep the detective from coming along. He couldn't even use the fact L was in a wheelchair to his advantage because Watari agreed to meet them there with the wheelchair.

Part of him was relaxed, seeing L trusted him enough to be carried far above the city in the cold, even when he couldn't use his Traits to save himself if Light were to drop him.

It would be so easy for his grip to slip, and L would plummet to his death. Light looked down at the city below, where the riots had finally slowed, and he squeezed his eyes shut before needing to double-check that L was safe in his arms.

With L's hair blowing in the wind, it was easy to see the chip on the back of his neck. Light was terrified that the cold would freeze the only thing keeping L alive, but so far, it seemed to be holding out.

They landed at To-Oh university for a day of hopeful normalcy. In truth, Light came here because he wanted to see more of the impact of what he had done.

Watari was waiting for them and helped him into his wheelchair, "I'm sorry I couldn't bring an electric one, Ryuzaki," he said, "I don't want to risk an accident while you're out—remember, no telekinesis."

"I know, Watari," L whispered, and Light looked nervously at the handles of the wheelchair, having to put effort into making his fingers grip the wheelchair's handles to push it. "Thank you, Light-Kun," L whispered, but before they turned away, Watari stopped them, handing them two peculiar black things which seemed to cover their upper face, kinda like a glorified semi-seethrough blindfold.

"They're required." Watari explained, "Masks to hide from Shinigami so they can't see your face."

"But that's stupid," Light struggled to put the veil on, "We only really need to see the eyes, and can see the name and enough of the face unless the person is turned around."

"Yes, well, you can't exactly point that out, so we have to follow the rules."

L groaned and went about pushing L into the university, trying not to think about what he was doing. What if L never recovered?

As he got into class, he realized practically nobody was there, not even the teacher yet. Kiyomi was there, and judging by her eyes' pink glow through her covering, she was using her Broadband Trait.

L was unusually quiet, pulling out a notebook for class, and Light turned to him, "Are you okay?

"Oh... I'm fine."

...

L could feel Light's discomfort and nerves. Normally, it was subtle, but with all of L's Traits fighting for dominance, waging war in his mind with the chip on the back of his neck being the only thing preventing his mind from tearing itself apart...

It was getting harder and harder to focus as each hour passed, and he could only hope Watari would be able to fix the amulet before this chip wasn't enough anymore.

The only thing he could really keep his attention on was Light, as their bond made him hyperaware of everything Light was feeling right now. Carranam, nicknamed after a similar function in a popular book series because, for decades, nobody could think of a decent name that wasn't way too long for anyone to remember.

It hadn't hurt this much last time L bonded with someone like that. It had been agonizing, but differently. 

He had been young and stupid, trying the bond at the drop of a hat when B suggested it. They were extremely lucky to have been compatible, or he could have killed B. But it had been nice to have someone who was able to understand him and could use his shapeshifting if L ever needed a break.

But then A died, and B left him. When he learned B left him to go on a killing spree, that had hurt a lot, to realize that the bond between them meant nothing. It just meant they were similar enough to not destroy each other. It was a battle trick, nothing special.

Well, he had been content thinking that for years until he tried it out with Light, his equal and trusted friend who only did it to save his life. He would never admit he had been given a spark of hope there, that perhaps this time would be different.

But now Light was distancing away from him too. It was a gut feeling that this wasn't like with B, but for all the powers he possessed, he couldn't directly mind read.

One thought had occurred to him, that when Light had gotten back his memories of the last year, he had remembered being the original Kira. He supposed it made sense, but it was more likely he had just jumped on the bandwagon at one point and felt awful about that. L wouldn't be surprised at all if most if not all Shinigami had tried it at least once out of curiosity.

But what if he was just trying to provide a logical explanation for Light distancing himself, that he was feeling guilty and feared rejection when in reality Light just regretted the bond they shared now?

If he was capable of getting out words without struggle and battling catatonia every second, he would throw out the Kira accusation again and see what response he was able to sense from Light. The aftermath of that was something to think about later. For now, this mask was very unpleasant.

He felt someone nudge him, and he managed to move his head to one of his classmates, "What's your Trait? You always claimed confidentiality, but we can't risk you being a Shinigami. What's with the wheelchair?"

L groaned, already knowing that even revealing his copying Trait would land him in hot water, and he was barely able to whisper, "Shapeshifting. I pushed myself too far with one of the recent changes." To prove his power, he changed his hair to black and then back to blue.

Even something as small and insignificant as that caused a spasm of pain in his head, and he let out a choked groan as he had to keep all of his other abilities from tearing out of him, and he started tapping Light as fast as possible,

...

"Ryuga?" Light asked worriedly as he saw that terrified look in L's eyes through the failed blindfold, which Light was gonna consider small veil. He then realized that his damaged hands were sensing cold, and he looked down to see a thin coating of frost on his hand that L was tapping. He subtly slipped L some gloves to keep that contained. Watari said he was supposed to wear the gloves all the time to prevent him from absorbing new powers in his vulnerable state, but L really hated them and kept taking them off, so Light always kept a pair on him, just on the off chance he ran into L, and he needed them.

Still, they had to get out of here and get L back to Watari to make sure his powers getting out wouldn't kill him. He managed to pick L up, abandoning the wheelchair and keeping him in a piggyback ride, ignoring Kiyomi and others asking where he was going. But the instructor didn't seem to care, seeing 'Ryuga' pale and shaking on Light's back and the state of Light's own hands. Light couldn't help but be impressed with his forearm strength and balance to be able to lift his foot to open the door and head out, waiting until they were a good distance away to sprout wings,

"Just hang on, L, a little longer."

He flew as quickly as he could, wincing as he noticed more people out than earlier, meaning he had to fly higher than he would typically dare to avoid being shot down by an angry mob. He may have been officially stated to have a flight Trait, but who would know that when he was just flying above.

Upon landing on the roof of headquarters, he bounced L a bit to stabilize him, and he turned to see L's skin was glowing as it often did when he was happy. He cringed because how was L supposed to make that ability stop? And why could he possibly be happy right now? His Traits must be flipping out.

"Watari!" He called, "L needs help!" He helped L onto the bed in Watari's lab, where he found Watari messing around with various gadgets, and hurried over to L, placing a hand on L's forehead,

"What's wrong?"

"He's losing control again," Light explained, "I don't think he can talk much."

"No, he can't," Watari bent down to L, talking slowly as though to a young child, "I'm going to put you to sleep, okay? You're going to feel better when you wake up." He called towards the back of the lab, "Matt, get the magnesium, just in case." Matt went into the back, and Watari grabbed some sleeping gas, and Light knew L was in good hands, so he went to leave and make sure he couldn't hurt L further by being around him.

He was shocked to feel a hand grabbing his, and L was staring at him through unfocused eyes, and in the softest whisper, practically a breath, Light heard the plea of "Stay."

"I shouldn't," he looked away, going to leave again and maybe train with Aizawa, but Watari stopped him,

"You should stay. You won't get in the way, and I'm sure he would feel better if he knows you're with him. You saved his life. I'm sure he trusts you greatly."

 _Yeah, well, I'm the reason he ended up like this._ Even so, Light looked back at L, who seemed to have lost awareness, and he felt a painful clenching in his chest, seeing the one he cared so much about in such a pitiful state.

Should he do it? If he let himself get attached again, he may not want to let go, and it would only be worse when he inevitably caused L to get hurt all over again. 

Of course, L wasn't the only one he hurt. He thought about his brother, who had shattered his scapula and couldn't move his arm at all. Dad had been staying with him a lot lately, as though making up for all those years where Light was the favorite. What about all the innocents Higuchi had taken control of that L hadn't been able to save? Or the slaughters and the discrimination outside started because he hadn't thought to just ask why vigilantism was illegal? 

He couldn't run away from it all. Well... he supposed there was a way he could, but he shook those thoughts away as he stared at L and eventually gave in, knowing that even if what had happened was his burden to bear, perhaps he could atone by staying with L when he needed companionship. He still felt like Near or Mello or Matt would be better to stay with him, but if L wanted him, he supposed that he should listen.

Watari removed the chip and placed another amulet around his neck to see if he could get it right like the one that had held L over for sixteen years. Light knew it wasn't that simple because L hadn't been as powerful then, and thus it had been easier to keep it all contained and build up from there. To create a machine able to hold L's power now was going to be much more difficult.

"Can't we somehow drain his power?" Light asked, "Even if he gets it all back, it will help in making an amulet, right?" Watari shook his head,

"To do that would tamper with his brain far more than I would dare. Even putting a suppression collar on for a minute to try making it work caused an eruption of power and a seizure."

"But what if I took his power—"

Watari shook his head, "That would kill you, Light. Even a fraction of L's abilities almost burned you to death. To take enough that I would be able to make something that works _and_ doesn't cause him pain would burn you to a crisp and shatter your mind in seconds."

"Well, if L can handle it—"

"He can't handle it!" Watari snapped suddenly, "I was lucky to get the amulet right last time! There is a price for great power like L's, and I know he would never forgive himself if you died trying to save him."

Light looked to L, who was under the hold of sleeping gas to keep his abilities at bay, "Is there anything we can do for him? Anything at all?" Surely, if L knew who Light really was and what he had done, he wouldn't mind a little sacrifice to keep him alive. Maybe that could be how he atoned.

"All we can do is give it time and hope for the best." Watari answered, "It's not much, but that's all we have."

He gasped softly as he felt something soothing in his mind suddenly, and he noticed L's eyelids fluttering, as though L was trying to get through to him even while unconscious.

The idea was helped by the fact L didn't let go of Light's hand for the rest of the day and through the night. 


	28. Chapter 28

When L eventually came to, he found himself in Watari's lab, on the bed that may have been from a hospital. It took him a few moments to recall how he had gotten here when the pain in his head reminded him of why.

Nausea churned in his stomach as he forced himself to fully open his eyes and move his body in the slightest, but L was nothing if not stubborn, so he pushed past it and realized he was drenched in sweat. But he paid that no mind as his eyes rested on Light sleeping next to him in the bed and holding his hand. 

Had Light stayed with him this whole time? Maybe he had just been paranoid, and Light wasn't distancing from him...

Light slowly opened his eyes, and L noticed the crimson color had changed to more like burning embers with orange and yellow hints. How long had it been like that? Panic welled up and made his breath hitch as he remembered his premonition that had come true about Light burning out and having those eyes. It took a moment for him to realize that Light was talking,

"Are you aware this time?" Light asked, clearly concerned as L blinked at the question. Light _seemed_ fine, so what was with his eyes? Was it because he was still recovering from burnout?

"Have I not been aware before?" He asked and realized he was able to make himself talk without extra pain to his head. He looked down and noticed there were multiple amulets around his neck. Light explained,

"You've been catatonic for..." he checked his watch, "Fifty hours. After you had a couple seizures when you woke up from the sleeping gas, we had to go with this. It doesn't really work as a long-term solution, but this and giving you various drugs seems to be at least a functional medical plan." He got up, "I'll go get you a change of clothes. The magnesium lowered your body temperature a lot, but you were also sweating more than usual." He hurried out the door, and L stared at the ceiling as he relaxed a bit, hope sparking again that maybe he had been wrong. Light must not mind their bond if he was helping out so much, right?

Light came back, balancing a tray with some food and drink on his forearms and a change of clothes on his head. Judging by his wings being out, L assumed he had needed to fly to use his foot to get the door open. He helped L to move his taxed body into the new clothing after wiping off the sweat from his chest. L wasn't sure if he imagined it or not, but he could have sworn he saw a light dusting of pink on Light's face as he did so.

"Thank you," L looked down at the pancakes and scrambled eggs he had been offered, and his stomach loudly growled in response to having not eaten in two days. He didn't bother with a fork as he grabbed two of the pancakes and ate it like a sandwich but had to stop himself about halfway through as nausea returned.

"Slow down there," Light advised, "You don't want to make yourself sick."

"I'm already sick," L grumbled, looking longingly at the food that his body was trying to reject. He sighed, gazing up at the ceiling fan, keeping track of one of the blades as it spun around and around. He noticed Light's sudden silence, and his fear returned that something was wrong, "What's wrong, Light-Kun? You've been avoiding me lately. Did something happen?"

Light tensed up, "What? I haven't been—" he paused when L looked him dead on, making it clear he knew. Light slumped, "Fine, I have been avoiding you. It's nothing personal at all... it's really not, I promise."

"Then what is it?" He made sure not to be accusatory, but his detective side got the better of him as he asked, "Is there something you remembered when you got your memories back?"

Light paused, knowing full well what L was actually asking. He was quiet and then sat down and replied, "When I was little, and my fire Trait first activated, I nearly killed my mother. I burned through her throat, and it's a miracle she can speak today. After that, I shut myself in my room and refused to come out until I had mastered it. One thing I figured out pretty quickly is stress made me lose control, and especially with the loss of my hands, that aspect has been acting up again lately. I'm not avoiding you because I don't like you. I just don't want to hurt you."

L pondered what he was hearing. He had seen Light's records and his fire activating when he had been hugging his mother's neck was something that came up, and it was something he had always not been fully sure what to do with in his theories. Either he was probably not Kira and didn't want to hurt people, or he was largely unaffected and developed a taste for blood. But from what he heard now, which he could sense was absolutely genuine if not omitting a few details—unless those details were having tried the Kira thing—Light didn't want to hurt people.

At least he knew now that Light didn't hate him and was just trying to protect him in his own way. "I don't need protection, Light-Kun."

"And yet you're in a wheelchair right now because your power is slowly killing you," Light snapped, turning away, "Sorry. I'll just go—"

"No!" He got out of bed, his legs weak from lack of use, and he fumbled like a newborn fawn before Light had to turn and catch him against his chest before he crashed to the floor. Their eyes met, and L struggled to stabilize himself, the weight of the multiple amulets around his neck being just enough to throw off his center of balance.

The moment of silence was interrupted when they heard the door open, and Ryuk came in, sporting a sling with his arm up against his chest. He waved cheerfully with his good arm, "Hey!" Soichiro quickly followed after him,

"Ryuk, you shouldn't be up yet!" L blinked a few times. Since when had Soichiro called Ryuk by the nickname? Ryuk shrugged, then winced in pain at his shoulder,

"It's fine, Dad," he gestured to Light, who was still holding onto L to keep him upright, "I was just interrupting the sexual tension since that's my job as a twin."

"What?!" Light and L separated, and L fell back onto the bed, and Light crossed his arms grumpily while narrowing his eyes at his brother, while their father watched with an expression that was a mix of concern and amusement.

"I see you're feeling better," Light pointed out, "Are you still on the pain drugs?" Ryuk winked,

"Just a little," his eyes lit up with excitement, "And check out what I figured out how to do!" He walked back towards the door, but instead of opening it, he went straight through it.

 **Update. Ryuuku Yagami's Trait:** Ryuuku can turn intangible at will. However, this has yet to be fully controlled and can react to emotions as well.

"Impressive," Light sat back down with L, "So are you just here to pester me?"

"I also wanted to let you know Aizawa's looking for you. Something about training." Soichiro's brow furrowed in Light's direction,

"Aizawa's training you?"

Light shrugged, "I have to figure out how to control my fire without my hands, and he said he can help." Soichiro nodded with a prideful smile,

"I remember Aizawa and Ide trained together even before the academy to master such things. One thing I do recommend, Light, is talking to Ide as well since it was actually Ide's telekinesis that made Trait adaption a realized thing."

Light nodded, "I'll think about it." 

L looked around, "Where's Watari?" His blood ran cold when he noticed Light tense momentarily, "Light-Kun, where's Watari?" Was something wrong with Watari?

"Tending to Matt right now," Light replied, "He accidentally split his consciousness a few too many times and is pretty out of it, and seems to have gotten distracted in the interface. Matsuda's helping to pull him out. Watari said he's fine. He just needs to remember what he was doing before seeing something shiny." He held his hands up as though trying to assure L, but it only served to remind L of the burns on Light's hands, "You don't need to worry! Everything's under control! How about you just lay back—"

L teleported into Matt's room, falling against the wall as vertigo hit him hard. Mello was sitting by Matt's side while Watari checked Matt's bodily functions to see how aware he was. Watari looked up from where he had been checking Matt's eyes,

"L, you shouldn't be using your Traits. We don't know if multiple amulets will hold you over if you're using your abilities."

"I believe it will work decently enough once I am better rested," he walked in a circle, "I don't need a wheelchair right now." He sat down beside Matt, staring into Matt's eyes which reflected 1s and 0s. Mello tore at his hair, "Miheal, are you alright?"

"I hate it when this happens!" Mello snapped, "Sure, Matsuda can help this time, but it's taken days for him to come back before! It's not like Yagami who can just stay by you and keep you warm with his fire and you're freezing, I _can't_ help Matt! One of these days he's not going to come back, at least not fully." 

L put a hand on his successor's shoulder, "Matt's going to be fine—wait, what did you say about Light?" Mello looked up, seemingly grateful to have something to distract him,

"Yeah, he was holding onto you every time I checked and using his fire to keep you warm." L looked up to Watari for confirmation, and Watari nodded,

"I had to force him to stop a few times." L's eyes widened as he realized why Light's eyes had been like he was burning, and he stood up,

"Is Matt going to be okay on his own?" Watari nodded, and L hurried off, holding the amulets around his neck in his hands to deal with the extra weight, which wasn't much but just enough to throw him off.

He found Light training with Aizawa, which right now didn't seem to be much besides staring at a firepit, and Light was staring at it intensely with hopes of making it set ablaze.

"Light!" Light turned in surprise, and the fire burst to life.

"L, I'm glad you're doing well," L grabbed him and hoisted him up,

"Were you burning yourself out again? Watari and Mello said you were using fire to keep you warm."

"Wait, what?" Aizawa crossed his arms, his expression that of complete disapproval, "I told you if I was going to train you, you had to be careful with using your fire for a while." Light huffed,

"I was just keeping him warm. I didn't burn out or anything." L gestured to Light's eyes,

"Your eyes are giving you away." Light groaned, turning to his mentor,

"Do I have to stop?" 

Aizawa nodded, "We'll try again once Watari gives me the okay that you can train." Light pouted but relented,

"Fine." He left with L, "See you later, Aizawa!" When they shut the door, Light pouted, "You didn't have to interrupt my training. I'm fine. Just a mild fever." L checked Light's forehead,

"You need to lay down." He grabbed Light's arm and dragged him back to the room they shared, but Light refused to lay down.

"You're worse off than me,"

"I'm fine," L assured him, "I've already adjusted to my center of balance. Perhaps I can wear a backpack with a book or two inside to even it out until Watari can develop a singular amulet." He walked into the en suite bathroom and grabbed a cool compress, coming back and pressing it onto Light's forehead. "Why did you push yourself for me? We have electric blankets."

Light didn't respond, laying back against the pillows, and L pursed his lips as he considered any possible reason.

Then something occurred to him. Light had been the one to initiate the carranam bond between them and had been the one to teach him to fly. But he wasn't like this with anyone else, seemingly not even his twin.

"Light-Kun... is there something about our relationship that you're not telling me?" Light tensed, and L knew he was onto something when the pyromancer turned away from him, "Light-Kun..."

"It's my fault you got hurt," Light replied softly, and L could hear the unshed tears in his voice, "I can't sit by and watch you be in pain... you mean too much to me."

It clicked in L's head what Light's feelings were towards him then, and he turned Light to face him, placing his hand on the other's, wordlessly confirming that he knew and was okay with it.

In the back of his head, L wanted to ask if Light had ever tried being Kira, but he suspected he wouldn't get a real answer from that, and Light wasn't ready for that kind of confrontation right now. If Light truly had tried it like L suspected, he must be feeling immense guilt right now.

Light's eyes watered, and he leaned into L's embrace, and L held him as he wept. He knew he had to confirm his own feelings, whatever they exactly were, before they really talked about this. He wanted to be able to answer Light honestly and now lead him on in the event it wouldn't work out, but he wasn't going to give Light a hard time—even if he did wonder _how_ someone like Light Yagami had developed feelings for someone like him.

Regardless of the outcome, L smiled softly, "I'll always be here, Light-Kun."

OoOoO

Bag in hand, Mello snuck out of the building in the dead of night. Matt was mostly back to reality, and Matsuda was drained and still experiencing backlash from essentially overusing his Trait to the point of borderline breaking it, so he was resting in the infirmary.

He sighed as he pulled his backpack fully on. Matt was better off here, but after seeing Yagami being able to take such good care of L in his hour of need, it made him realize just how worthless he was in helping his own loved ones. He didn't have the power to pull Matt back to reality, and the only thing anyone remembered him for was a healer.

With this knowledge, he decided to leave and find some use for his damn power, make a name for himself maybe, and have the strength to protect what mattered.

As he walked through the city, he suddenly heard shouting, and he looked in an alleyway, seeing a group of people beating on what seemed to be a scrawny young man and forcing something around his neck...a Trait Suppression collar.

Mello forced the life force out of each person there, not enough to kill them but enough to make them really feel it and be drained for a long time, and he used some of that power to give to the young man who healed quickly.

"Are you okay?" Mello asked, and the young man brushed himself down, clawing at the collar around his neck. Mello pulled out a lockpick and picked the lock to make the contraption fall to the ground.

"I'm a lot better now," he held out his hand, "I'm Sidoh. Nice to meet you, Miheal."

"It's Mello," he replied, realizing quickly that this young man was a Shinigami.

Sihoh Yomi. Trait — Shinigami: This Trait allows Sidoh to kill anyone if he has a name and a face, even if he has never met that person. It also allows him to summon feathered wings whenever he desires without any damage to clothing or his back. Other abilities include invisibility, intangibility, and Shinigami eyes.

"So where are you headed?" Sidoh asked, and Mello shrugged, looking at the ground,

"Anywhere, really. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with my life," he looked up at Sidoh's golden eyes, "Wanna come with? I could use a companion."

"Well..." Sidoh pondered it for a moment, "Anything's better than staying here with everyone wanting my head because of something I can't control," he nodded, "I think I will come with you. Stay at my place tonight, and we'll hit the road in the morning."

Mello bit his lip. Was it really a good idea to go home with a stranger?

His question was answered for him as it began to rain, and he nodded to Sidoh. Worst case scenario, he had excess power from saving Sidoh and could easily take more.

"I'll take you up on that, Sidoh."


End file.
